The Mask
by The Samurai Prince
Summary: After setting off on his personal quest to find Navi, Link is sent to another land by fate to stop an enigmatic evil force bent on destroying the world, which it's being used in the form of an Imp. As he struggles through this new land, he helps those that are in need, and heal those that are in pain. The only problem is that he has three days to do so. [NEWLY EDITED. MM Novel.]
1. ACT 1 - 1: Farewell For Now

****[NEWLY EDITED AND REVISED: 12/19/2019]****

 ** **I decided to change the story a little bit. Everything in this version will remain the same, but I have some different ideas for certain things, like for one enigmatic character for example...so I deleted all the recent chapters and decided to make some new and improved ones that follow this new version. Sorry everyone for the constant editing and revising, but I feel like I can do a little bit better with this story and adaptation...I just need some imagination and a good outline! So bear with me once more folks, cause I'm gonna have to start this from the ground up again! XP****

 ** **But like I said before, I REALLY hope all of you will like this! I'll try to make this as different as possible and make good content out of it! Also, I hope I can entertain you all with my writing. I try REALLY hard to write well, so maybe this will be practice for me when I get back to this. In the meantime, here's (again) the prologue! :D****

* * *

 _ _Bad things do happen; how I respond to them defines my character and the quality of my life. I can choose to sit in perpetual sadness, immobilized by the gravity of my loss, or I can choose to rise from the pain and treasure the most precious gift I have - life itself.__

-Walter Anderson

* * *

 ** **-oOo-****

 ** **THE LEGEND OF ZELDA****

 ** **MAJORA'S MASK****

 ** **-oOo-****

 ** **ACT 1: THE JOURNEY****

* * *

Link sighed. He's getting kind of nervous...

 _ _'Well, there's no turning back now...'__

He's standing next to a tall, well-toned, attractive and mature looking woman, whose name is Impa, her silver-white hair tied into a ponytail as she's wearing her stealth-like Sheikah attire. She stood in front of a grand wooden doorway and knocks on the right door, opening the door just a tad as she looked inside, "Princess? You have a visitor. It's Link."

Link strains to hear what the Princess of Hyrule might've said. It probably wasn't anything imperative, she could've just accepted him into her room.

...That didn't come out right.

 _ _'Goodness, I__ am __nervous...'__ Link thought to himself.

"Princess Zelda will see you now, young lad," Impa said to him, interrupting his thoughts.

"Oh! Um, thanks, Impa," Link said.

Impa smiled at the young boy. "You're most welcome," She then looks at the door that was opened just a crack. She closes it slightly and says to Link in a quiet voice, "I hope that you find your friend in your journey, Link."

Link smiled back at the older woman. "Thank you, Impa. I hope so too."

Impa smiled with a nod and moves aside for Link to enter Zelda's room. He made his way inside, Impa closing the door behind him.

Zelda was standing in front of the open window of her room, her back facing Link. She had the same apparel she wore when he first met her at the courtyard garden...and again during the second time he met her in this reality.

It was strange...being brought back as a child. On the one hand, he's happy to relive his childhood days again. On the other hand...he now has the mind of an adult...a person who seen countless things no mere child should see...

He remembered _everything_ that he had to endure...the people he lost...the enemies he killed...the people he cared most that were left behind in that future...

In that _reality_.

The Zelda in that timeline, the older Zelda, brought him back to the past _...his_ past. This Zelda whom he's about to speak now doesn't remember him. He's been brought back to a reality where he first entered Hyrule Castle Town, to warn Princess Zelda about... _him_.

And that he did.

It was all averted. There were no repercussions, no casualties. Everything that was deemed a threat had been avoided.

...Except for the future.

A part of him wished that he stayed. To help Zelda and everyone else to cope with what they'd lost. To rebuild what the Kingdom of Hyrule once was...

But instead, he's back as a child who's now all alone in the world...

That's right...he's alone now.

Which is why he has to do this.

The young boy took a deep inhale of breath and let it out through his nose. He then spoke out. "Zelda?"

For a moment, she didn't do or say anything. She still looked out the window, her back facing Link.

The young Hero of Time took a few cautious steps towards her. "Um...I came by to tell you that..."

 _ _'Be strong...'__ Link thought to himself.

"...that I'm going now. I'm going to search for my fairy."

Zelda stood there, unmoving. "...You really have made your decision then?"

Link blinked in confusion at the question. "Um...yeah. I...I told you that I was going to do this yesterday...didn't I?"

"You did," Zelda says, not turning around. "I just...didn't expect you to go so early. It's not even noon yet."

Rubbing the back of his head sheepishly, he said, "Yeah...I just have a long way ahead of me."

Zelda hums in agreement.

...Silence surrounded them for a while...

Link cringed at the lengthy quietness and decides to start explaining, "I-I know, I shouldn't be worried about her. I mean, she __chose__ to leave. She said..." he frowned, remembering those words she said to him, "...that I have no need for her now since she fulfilled her purpose...as well as mine." he muttered that last part. "...But," his eyes start to water. He wiped them with his arm.

 _ _'No, don't. Not in front of Zelda.'__

"I...I don't know...I...I just feel so _alone_ now. I need...I need my _friend._ I-I need to know if our time together meant anything to her. She...she was like a sister, maybe even a mother to me...the only mother that I ever had," His voice was starting to get shaky and without even realizing it, he starts to choke up. "I want...I want to know if she __cared__."

The princess still stood there, albeit it looked as if her head was lowered down.

Link kept going. "I know it's selfish, but she was my __family__. She was the only one that I had left that I can __call__ family! And she just... _ _abandoned__ me," he looked down, trying to hide the tears that are trying to escapes from his eyes. "I...I have to find her. And ask her...why? Why did she __go__?" He couldn't contain the tears anymore as two of them stream down his face. "I just want to know and ask __why__?"

"...It's alright, Link..."

Link looks up, eyes still wet as he blinked. "What?"

Zelda turned around to face him, letting him see her melancholy expression. What he also saw was a blue ocarina grasped in her small hands.

The Ocarina of Time.

Link looked at the sacred instrument and glanced up at Zelda, seeing her forlorn eyes staring back at him. Instantly, it made him worry, "Zelda?"

She glanced down at the ocarina in her hands. "I understand..." She looked up to meet his eyes. "You have to do this...and I respect that."

"You do?" Link asked, releasing a breath he didn't know he was holding.

Zelda nods. "I know you have to find her. You told me you had to...and I respect your decision."

 _ _Two haunting eyes staring down at a condemned land...__

 _ _They were filled with anger and hatred, resulting everyone to be in despair...__

 _ _It spread like a consuming fire...causing death everywhere...__

 _ _Fire...it was__ everywhere _ _.__

 _ _The despair consumed them all.__

 ** _ **Consume...I shall consume...everything.**_**

Zelda quickly looks down at the ocarina again, her face slightly troubled.

Seeing her expression, Link looked at her curiously. "Are...are you sure?"

She glanced up, startled. "Y-...Yes, Link. I'm absolutely sure."

 _You must go, Link. You_ must _._

Link didn't look too convinced on her statement. "Zelda...I-"

"Link," Zelda interjected, "It's fine, really. I won't stop you. It's just...I feel like I've known you for such a long time."

His eyes widened, filled with hope. "You...do?"

"Yes. I know we just met four days ago, but...I feel like...I truly _know **who**_ you are."

Link gazed at her, wishing to say that she _does_ know him, that they have met before, in a different time, a different reality. That way, he'll feel like he isn't alone in the world...but he didn't. All he could do was just stand there in silence, listening to the princess's every word.

Zelda continued, "I don't know why, but those four days showed me that...you are someone that I can truly _trust._ Someone...I could confide to, to talk to...someone...I could really call a _friend."_

He felt tears starting to form in his eyes again as he smiled, touched that Zelda could trust him so deeply, even after getting to know him again...perhaps she still has some remembrance of their time back in the old timeline. He smiled melancholily at the false hope. If only he can dream. The Zelda he once knew was left behind, as she brought him back here with her Ocarina of Time. He wishes Hylia, The Goddess of Time Herself, could bring back the memories to Zelda somehow...but alas, he was hoping for too much.

The princess smiled back at him poignantly. "Link...I want you to know that you shouldn't feel alone. I know...it must be hard to just find out that you're not who you say you are, being a Kokiri...but, know that you do __have__ a family here. Back here...with all of us...with _me."_

A tear fell across Link's left cheek, the feeling of relief coming over him. A relief that told him things _will_ be better from here this point on.

"And...when you...when you _do_ come back...we'll be waiting," Zelda said with such conviction and heart. Tears were starting to form in her eyes as well. Noticing this, it made Link step closer to her form.

"Link," she said, making him stop. "...Follow what your heart says. Don't let anyone stop you, not even me. If you _need_ to go find her, then...go find her."

This time, Link let another tear roll down his right cheek as he sniffled.

"I know you need to do this," she said, her eyes watered up with more tears. She took a deep shuddering breath to ease her emotions. When she collects herself, she said in an authoritative but soft tone, "Link...as your princess...I order you to go and search for your friend."

 _Do not doubt yourself, young Hero..._

It was then the Hero of Time gazed at her in awe. He shook his head to clear away any coming tears that would form in his eyes and came up to Zelda to embrace her, enveloping his arms around her delicate frame with the ocarina still in her hands.

Zelda's eyes widened. She then let the tears slide off her face, not being able to hold them anymore. She struggled to wrap part of her arms around Link's torso with the ocarina in her left hand.

When Link let go of the embrace, he had both of his hands on her shoulders, looking at her with determination. "I'll come back soon. I promise."

"I know you will," she said, her tone a little shaky, but strong as she smiled warmly at him. Link shares the same smile to her as well.

 _ _He WILL come back...__

Zelda glanced down at the ocarina. "Link...I want you to have this...for your journey." She then held out the Ocarina of Time in front of him.

The boy's eyes widened in shock, "Your...your ocarina? Zelda, I can't take this."

"I insist," Zelda stated. "This ocarina is very special to the Royal Family. It's been passed down for generations when the Royal Family was first formed." She lowered the ocarina and glanced down at it. "Have I ever told you what it's made of?"

"No," Link shook his head. Although the Zelda he knew from the different timeline said the ocarina that he held at the time had magical properties, she never told him what it was made of.

She looked up at him with a smile. "To be honest, I don't know the name of it. But what I do know is that it's said to be made of a special stone that never erodes or wears off, keeping it's natural shape unless someone forges it into an item by human hands. It's also said in ancient times it also has the power to control time."

"Really?" Link asked inquisitively, "A stone that controls time?"

"Mm-hm. And with that, it has special properties," she looked down at the ocarina once more. "Do you remember the Song of Time I taught you?"

Link nods and said firmly. "I do."

He actually still remembers it, even before Zelda taught him the song a second time. She played it again to him while he stayed at the Castle, in gratitude for taking that _monster_ Ganondorf into custody.

Every time he thinks about that...monstrosity of a person, whatever he was...

No. He pushed the thought at the back of his mind. He doesn't want to think about him, not at this moment.

Zelda still has her eyes on the ocarina as she continued to tell him, "I don't know why I taught you that song. Whatever it may be...I just felt like you have to know it. Something about it...it just...reminds me of us in a way. Like..." she chuckled softly, "This...seems silly, but...it feels like I've known you forever...like we were friends for a very long time."

Link smiled tenderly at her observation. "Yeah...I understand that. It actually does feel that way, doesn't it?"

Zelda smiled happily as she gazed back at him. "Yes...it does," she held the ocarina to her chest. "But I do want you to have it to remember me by. And whenever you need help...play that song. Hylia, the Goddess of Time, will aid you whenever you need it."

"Really? Hylia?" he asked in curiosity.

He heard and learned about that name from the Great Deku Tree, the father of the Kokiri, as well as his when he was even younger.

Whenever a Kokiri is born, they stay in their Father's meadow for four years, until they have their own dwelling at the time when they reach the age of five. He always took great care of them, protecting them from any danger of the forest, and when they reach the age of four, their Father would always do a 'story time' before they go to sleep. It was at that time in Link's life that the Great Deku Tree told the fellow Kokiri and him the story of the Three Golden Goddesses' Divine Servant, Hylia, who fought against an evil demon king in ancient times. He only heard it once, but for some reason, that story really stuck to Link.

Zelda gave him a cute smile. "Yes. Play that song when you need help or guidance. I can assure you that She will help you on your journey."

Link smiled at his friend. He glanced at the Ocarina of Time and took it from Zelda. He observed it, remembering the dark bluish color and the holes that were present, as well as the silver band wrapped around the neck of the flute with the golden Triforce embedded on it.

"You know..." Link began to say as he lowered the ocarina and put it in one of his tunic pockets, "I know...we just met four days ago...but, I feel like we'd known each other for a lifetime as well."

Zelda gazed at him, her eyes widened at his statement. Her lips curved upward into an emotional smile, feeling elated with gratitude.

She then came forward and hugged him.

Link froze at the close contact of her embrace, blushing a bright red.

Zelda then said quietly in his ear, tears spilling from her eyes. "Thank you, Link. For _everything_."

As soon as Link's heart-rate went down, his eyes softened as he too was shedding tears. He soon gave her a hug as well. "Thank __you__ , Zelda."

They both stood there hugging each other, not wanting this moment between good friends - or perhaps something more – to end.

But it has to end soon enough. The only thing that gives them comfort, is that they know they're somewhat connected through this whole thing.

* * *

Zelda looks on at the fleeting young hero during the last hours of the morning as he sets off out to Hyrule Castle Town with his trusty young steed, Epona, along with his bag of supplies strapped onto the small horse. She stood there outside in front of the castle's entrance, remembering the conversation while they walked back to his horse.

 **-O-**

" _ _Where will you start searching?" asked Zelda to Link.__

" _ _Well, I'm thinking maybe if I go to the Kokiri Forest, I can have a better chance of finding her. She could be in the Lost Woods for all I know. I mean, she was born in that region, so she could've gone there," Link theorized.__

 **-O-**

Zelda's eyes looked far-cast, seeing her newfound friend going further into the distance.

 _...He will come back._

 **-O-**

" _ _Then...I think you should find her there. The forest sounds like the best bet. Just...be careful."__

" _ _Hey, don't worry, I know the forest my whole life. The only thing there that's mildly a problem is this Imp who lives in the forest, and he's just misunderstood from what my friend Saria says."__

 **-O-**

...Imp.

Zelda recalled that vivid dream she had last night...

What could it mean?

It was like her dream with that man Ganondorf she had five days ago...it felt so real. While she can see the threat clearly in her last dream, this one was more cryptic.

The dream showed a dark red sky...and a gigantic object of what appeared to be...the moon? She doesn't know, but...

 ** _Consume..._**

It was getting closer to what looked like...some sort of a city, the tallest structure being in the middle of it all.

And on top of the tall structure was someone staring up at the sky...right at the falling moon.

 _ **I shall consume...**_

The air turned warm and thick while the ground shook. The sky turned in an even darker shade of red.

Particles of land cracked, trees were set on fire, and people...

People were screaming...dying from this horrible catastrophe.

And the figure that was standing...no...that was now _floating_ where the tall, ready-to-collapse tower once stood...began to turn its head to Zelda, who was watching all of this happen in her dream...

It turned to her direction to reveal...only two glowing orange-yellowish like eyes...staring right into her being.

These eyes carried no emotion, no feeling...all except for two emotions. If she were to find them, these soulless eyes displayed it in a small way.

These eyes...showed **hatred...and _malice_**.

She couldn't help but feel...afraid. Afraid of these eyes that stared into her soul.

The land crumbled and shook violently, the unknown city being demolished by the force of this giant object breaking into the sky...

And fire... **consumed** _everything._

Destruction and despair were everywhere...

 ** _ **I shall**_ **cons** **ume...****

 ** **EVERYTHING.****

"I really hope he finds his friend," said a mature woman's voice.

Zelda snapped out of her trance and turned to her caregiver Impa, who stood right beside her.

"If he doesn't...well, I hope he finds a new one," Impa said with a slight smile. With a tilt of her head and a shine to her red eyes, she places a hand on the young princess's shoulder. "He's a brave boy, Princess. I'm certain he'll come back."

She looked at her caregiver, her eyes filled with so much hope. She averted her attention back to Link, who was already halfway in the distance to Hyrule Castle Town.

"...Yes...he will," Zelda said resolutely.

Impa smiles. "Come, Princess. It is time for more of your lessons."

Zelda nodded and followed Impa back into the castle. As she walked back to the Hyrule Castle grounds, only one thought was in her mind...

 _ _'What could that dream mean? What was it about? It had to mean something, didn't it? Could it be another warning? Whatever it was, those eyes I saw...they were filled with__ _such...such_ darkness.'

She frowned as she made her way to the palace.

 _'I don't know what it could represent. Is this a sign of the future? And if it is, where will this take place? Will Link...'_

Shaking her head, she sighed as she entered Hyrule Castle.

 _'...I have to put my faith in Link and in Hylia...'_

She said a silent prayer.

 _'Dear Goddess of Time...protect Link from whatever comes his way...help him find not only who he's looking for, but_ what _he's looking for.'_

As soon as she said that silent prayer...she paused in her walking.

Impa, who was next to Zelda, stopped as well as soon as she ceased to walk. She was about to ask what is wrong when she saw her face.

Zelda had an expression that seemed...almost conflicted...yet, she looked like she was at peace.

"Princess? Are you alright?" Impa asked Zelda in concern.

Dazed for just a bit, she blinked and answered, "Y-...Yes Impa, I'm fine. I just...miss Link already."

Impa smiled understandingly. "Do not fret, young Princess. You two seem to have made a special bond that could probably last through a lifetime."

"A lifetime..." Zelda remembered those words that Link told her. She looked up to her caregiver. "How would you know?"

Impa chuckled. "I actually don't. It does though, however, look like you're both connected somehow."

"Connected? How so? I've only known him for four days."

"That is true...but when I was a child just like you, my great-grandmother told me what her great-grandmother had once told her: _Life's_ _breath is the wind, and if your soul follows the wind, it will guide you who you're looking_ _for in due_ time." Impa smiled warmly. "And I think Link followed that wind."

Zelda mused those words of advice as she stood there. "...That...makes sense somewhat."

Impa chuckled once more. "I do have more teachings on Sheikah philosophy if you're interested?"

The princess looked back at Impa with glee. "That would be nice, Impa!"

The woman smiled. "Well then, follow me, young Princess."

As they go to the study, Zelda reflects on what she felt.

 _'Yes...he_ will _return again someday. Do not worry, Link...Hylia will be by your side.'_

 **-O-**

" _Link..."_

 _Link, who mounted Epona, turned to the princess. "Yes, Zelda?"_

" _...I'll miss you."_

 _He gave her a warm smile. "Hey, we'll see each other again. But...I'll miss you as well."_

 _Zelda returned his smile. "Yeah. Then...I'll see you later, Link."_

 _Link nodded with that same smile. "See you later, Princess Zelda."_

 **-O-**

 _Farewell, My Knight...however, I _will see you again soon. Until then...may **I** still be ____by your side.__

* * *

 ** **End of Act 1: Chapter 1****

* * *

 ** **Well, there you have it! New and improved! NOW, what do you all think of it so far? :)****

 ** **I hope you all like how this new version of my MM novel starts! Tell me how I did with a review(please do, I crave those), OR if you want to follow and fave it, then be my guest! ;****

 ** **Until then, I'm gonna try and plan this out more properly while I write my other projects. Sorry! I got to get some of those done and whatnot. ^^; But I will get back to this soon, and it'll be better than ever! I PROMISE YOU THAT! ;D****

 ** **Thank you all for reading, and keep on rocking everyone! ^_^****

 ** **-TSP****


	2. ACT 1 - 2: Finding The Lost

**[EDIT: 12/18/2019] Changed some minor dialogue with Link, Zelda, and the HMS, also known as Omen at the end. ;)**

* * *

" _...Navi? W-Where are you going?"_

 _A pause._

" _Link... Now that our mission from the Great Deku Tree is complete, I...I think it's time for us to go our separate ways."_

" _...What? B-...But why?"_

" _...Link. I've seen you grown into such a good man. You had a destiny, and you fulfilled it. Now... I have nothing left to help you with. You don't need me anymore."_

" _...I...I don't understand."_

" _Link..."_

" _I-Is it because I'm not a Kokiri?"_

" _No! No, it's not that at all, Link! It's just...I...I just don't think you need me anymore."_

" _...But...but I do."_

" _No, Link, you don't. You're mature enough to live your own life now."_

" _But...but I...I...no, this...no, y-you can't be serious!"_

" _...I'm sorry Link."_

" _...But...but...I don't want you to go."_

" _Link-"_

" _No! I don't want you to go! You're the only family I have left! You taught me so much, and you looked out for me! You're...you're like a-"_

" _Link, please...please don't make this hard..."_

" _...Like a mother to me."_

 _Silence._

" _...Link...I'm so sorry. I don't want to to do this."_

" _Then why are you, Navi?!"_

" _Link-"_

" _I have no one left now! I don't know if I can return home back to the Kokiri! I don't even know what to do next! I don't...I don't want to be alone!"_

" _Link!"_

 _Another pause._

 _"Listen to me...there is one last thing that you_ could _do for me."_

" _...What is it?"_

" _Zelda said that she sent you back to when you are a child again. I don't know when, but...go to her. I'm certain she can help you. Maybe you can help her as well! If she did send you to where I think she sent you, then you can try to once again prevent Ganondorf from entering the Sacred Realm and obtaining the Triforce! You can tell Zelda beforehand; you can reveal Ganondorf's plan to the Kingdom! You can change things, Link!"_

" _...I..."_

" _Link...you're never alone. You have Zelda...you have all the friends you've made back in your past time. You're given a second_ chance _, Link. To make things right, to make people happy before anything bad happens to them."_

" _...But why are you leaving me?"_

" _Because you're all grown up, Link. You may be a child now, but not in your mind. You are a_ man _now, deep inside your soul."_

" _But..."_

" _Link...I_ do _love you...and I want to cherish our time together while it lasts...but now, I think our time is up. But know_ one _thing, Link...you will_ always _be in my heart, and I will_ always _cherish the times we had. Those times were some of the_ best _moments of my life. But now..._ you _have to live_ your _life. And I know you can do fine without me...you_ are _a man now."_

" _...I don't feel like it though. I...I still...I still feel lost."_

" _Then go. Go to Zelda. Go and_ find _that answer. I know you'll be able to find it. For now though...just_ live _."_

" _...I'll try..."_

" _Link...I love you...and I'll miss you."_

" _...I love you too..."_

" _Then...this is goodbye."_

* * *

Link remembered that conversation well, trying not to shed tears as he sat against a tree to rest up for a bit. The shade covers him and his trusty steed Epona as he stares out onto Hyrule Field, the wind blowing through the grass of lush green hills. It was scenic and peaceful, the field never losing its serenity, as backdrops of mountains, forests, as well as a river adorning the distance.

He remembered going through this endless field, discovering different locales, different regions, and different environments...alongside with his fairy friend, Navi.

Shaking his head to cancel any thoughts of their time together, he rubbed his eyes with his hand to not let his tears fall. Epona snorted, noticing her new master looking distressed. Getting it together, Link turned to his young horse and smiled. "I'm okay, girl. I was just thinking about stuff is all."

Epona neighed softly, almost as if she understood him.

 _'She really is a smart horse,'_ Link thought with slight mirth as he smiled at the young horse. He continued to look at the vast field. Somewhere in the distance was his old home, the Kokiri Forest, as well as Kokiri Village...

He frowned, remembering the odd experience he had when going back to this timeline.

He was transported inside Hylia's Temple, the sacred Temple of Time, in front of the pedestal of where the Spiritual Stones once laid, as well as the Door of Time...without The Master Sword in his hands. He also didn't see the Stones in their depressions. In fact, the Door of Time further up front behind the pedestal was closed.

After getting his bearings, he walked out with Navi to see that everything is in place as it should be when he was a child.

And that was when Navi decided to leave him, telling him to warn Princess Zelda about Ganondorf before she left...

He was sad to see her go but was determined to do what she had told him to do.

As he rushed through Hyrule Castle Town, however...that's when it happened.

At one point as he was running through the city, he began remembering things that happened before...things that the Link sent here now remembered a long while ago in this timeline reality.

He still slew the giant arachnid creature known as the Gohma.

He retrieved the Kokiri Emerald from the Great Deku Tree before the mighty Tree died.

But what was different this time, was that he gave the Emerald to his good friend Saria for her to look over, told her goodbye, and made his way off to Hyrule Castle in the early morning. He made it over there in the span of twelve hours amazingly enough, as it was just running in the field, with the occasional breaks in between. He was there in Hyrule Castle Town in the afternoon; it was like a new record that even put the postman to shame.

This all came to him in his mind as he kept going to the Castle. He had to stop in his running to comprehend this bizarre happening that manifested itself into his mind. It began as a strong headache, and then it faded...

Even though Link was baffled and in awe of this, he had a mission to fulfill.

It happened exactly four days ago...

* * *

 _Just like last time, he passed the guards unnoticed, only this time he did it with such expert stealth that it only took ten minutes for him to get to the courtyard._

 _When he reached his destination, he stops once he entered the courtyard. Far off, he saw Zelda, who was facing the window that was near the throne room…_

 _He walks quietly to where she stood._

'There she is. I just have to warn her about Ganondorf and the crisis will be averted.' _Link nods to himself. However, he stops in his tracks midway to where she was, looking hesitant._ '...But _..._ would she still know me? What if she doesn't recognize me?'

 _...He actually didn't think this through. Navi would usually tell him that…_

 _Navi…_

 _He shook his head._ 'No _...s_ he chose to go _..._ and _..._ I respect that.'

 _...Did he really, though?_

 _Navi was his companion, his friend... his only family. She helped him through his adventure across Hyrule and gave him sound advice. She was always by his side._

 _And...she decided to just...leave._

 _Link then heard a gasp. Looking up, he sees Zelda her eyes wide as they focused on him._

 _"W-Who are you?" she said with a worried look on her face. "How did you get past the guards?"_

'Oh boy...well, this is it...I hope this plays out well a second time.' _Link thought with a gulp._

 _"Zelda!"_

 _The princess blinked. "Wha...how do you know who I am?"_

 _"I know who you are, because...I..." he thought quickly what Zelda said in their first meeting, "I'm the boy in your dream."_

 _Zelda's eyes widened in shock. "Y-...You are?"_

 _Link nodded, "I am. My name is Link."_

 _The princess looks at him in astonishment but soon morphs into curiosity. "How...did you know that I envisioned you in a dream?"_

'Oh shoot, that's right! Um...' _Link scrambled up a quick white lie, "I had a dream about you too. To come over here and warn you about Ganondorf!"_

 _Now her eyes were wider than before. "You know of the King of the Gerudo's?"_

 _He nodded, "I know that he's planning an assault on the Kingdom, and caused despair to the Gorons, Zora's, and...the Children of the Forest, the Kokiri..." Link looked distraught at mentioning his home and his surrogate father, The Great Deku Tree of the Kokiri. He shook his head and kept going, "He did it all to obtain the Spiritual Stones! And not only that, but he wants to enter the Sacred Realm to get The Triforce! Whatever suspicions you have with him are correct! He's..." he frowned, having a look of contempt when remembering Ganondorf's true form, Ganon. "...he's a monster."_

 _Silence covered the courtyard..._

 _Link feels like he might've said too much too soon until Zelda closed her eyes and sighed with what sounded like...relief._

 _"I knew it..." Zelda said with a smile._

 _"Then...you believe me?" Link asked her with hope._

 _She smiled bigger when she said, "I do. You confirmed my suspicions about him. The letters from the Gorons and Zoras that have been coming in and asking for our help and the timing of Ganondorf's negotiations with my father are too convenient."_

 _He smiled, thankful that Zelda believed his words._

 _However, she looked at him in curiosity. "Although...are you from the forest?"_

 _Link's expression then turned solemn upon the mention of his old home. "I...I was."_

 _Zelda blinked again, "You were? What do you mean?"_

 _"I mean that I'm..." he then remembered the Deku Tree, how he said that he wasn't a Kokiri..._

'Wait...He told me early...' _confused by this, but decided to ponder on that later, he continued, "I've been told by...the Great Deku Tree before he...died...that I wasn't a Kokiri...that I was Hylian."_

 _Zelda frowned, "Oh...I'm...so very sorry to hear that."_

 _Link frowned as well, looking down at the ground as his expression was sullen._

 _Zelda looked on at the boy and instantly felt like she needed to comfort him. She did ask him, however, "It was that man Ganondorf, wasn't it?"_

 _He didn't reply back, but his silence was enough._

 _It just now occurred to him that he couldn't even save the Great Deku Tree, his_ father _, from His impending doom in this reality as well._

"Thou are a child, for now, Link My son, but thou will have the mind of a man soon enough. For now, thou must fulfill a destiny that has been written in Time's Scrolls. Thou are no longer Link the Kokiri. Now, thou are Link the Hylian. Now go, My child. My time is near. Go further and cease the Evil King from harming Hyrule any further. Go and do not weep for me, for I will live again anew. By the Grace of Hylia, I know you will not fail. Goodbye...Link...Navi...I love you...both...and...the Children...of the Forest. ...Fare...well..."

 _It was then he felt an embrace from someone, snapping out of his despair. Blinking, he realized the hug was from Zelda. Blushing, he froze, unsure what to do at this point._

 _"I'm so sorry..." Zelda said with tender sincerity._

 _Link blinked again...and then his eyes started to water. His face grimacing in sorrow, he hugged her back, the tears flowing down his face._

 _They stood there for a while, hugging each other..._

 _It was then they heard footsteps. They released each other, Zelda looking straight ahead while Link turned around._

 _It was Impa, the Sheikah bodyguard and caregiver of Zelda. She looked at the pair curiously, and said, "Princess? Who is this?" she raised an eyebrow. "Is this the boy in your dream?"_

 _Zelda smiled. "Yes, he is, Impa." she motioned to him. "Impa, this is Link. Link, this is my caregiver, Impa. Link has come here for some imperative information about Ganondorf."_

 _Impa's eyes widened but nodded as she looked at the boy, "Well then, lad, please tell me what you know of the Gerudo King. I always did found something was off about the man."_

 _Link sniffled, wiping the remainder of his tears as he stood strong, smiling softly at Impa._

 _"I'll tell you everything you need to know, Miss Impa." Link replied with resolution._

* * *

 _'Funny how things worked out so well...'_ Link thought as he stared at the vast canvas of green, the land seeing another day of not being oppressed by an evil king. After explaining the situation to Impa, the Sheikah instantly made it her duty to put away Ganondorf for good.

Apparently, she had her suspicions, such as the problems that the Gorons and the Zoras were having, such as the former's rock mining cave being shut off and Dodongo's appearing away from their territory in the Death Mountain region, while the latter's Guardian Deity was feeling ill at the Domain of the Zoras in the watery grottos near the ocean. It was all too convenient that the King of the Gerudo's made his appearance known during these certain events. They seem to line up with Ganondorf's visit to Hyrule Castle Town, which he was there to meet the King at Hyrule Castle to set a 'peace treaty' for their Kingdoms to settle their dueling conflicts. He didn't want the Hylians to call in their trusted allies if things go awry with his plan to obtain the Triforce, so he sabotaged the access to the Goron's food supply and weaken the Zoras Guardian Deity, Jabu-Jabu.

When Impa told all these things to the King of Hyrule, Zelda's father, he had his doubts about all this really happening, and it raised even more questions for him. Like who was this boy in green? How did he obtain this knowledge? How did he get past the guards and into his abode so easily? His questions remained unanswered as Zelda begged her father to hear out the boy named Link. When the King decided to listen to the boy's plea, Link gave him detailed accounts of the problems that were happening in the Goron and the Zora Kingdoms, as well as what he had to go through to try and heal the ancient Tree of the Kokiri. He explained it with such passion, especially as he told him his ordeal inside the Great Deku Tree. The King was intrigued by what this boy had said, but he was still skeptical. Even though the Hylians and Gerudos didn't get along with each other at times, the King really wanted peace among the desert people and his. Either way, he decided to question the Desert King about these events to see what his reaction would be.

In short, after a while of questioning, Ganondorf shockingly enough admitted quite blatantly that he was going to obtain the Triforce for his own needs. From what the King of Hyrule stated, he didn't look like he was under any pressure when he finally admitted it. He just decided to confess, seeing as if there was no point in hiding it anymore, albeit he was casual about it.

So with that, His Majesty ordered the Royal Guard to apprehend Ganondorf. When hearing the guards took him into custody, and that the Gerudo King unashamedly admitted that he did all these things to the Hylian King, it made Link sick to his stomach. From how it was described, he sounded like he held no remorse or anything.

The next day after Ganondorf's arrest, he was in front of the King at his trial. It was a tense moment for Link, Zelda, and Impa, as they were on the sidelines of the trial to witness Ganondorf's conviction. The Gerudo King stood in front of the King of Hyrule with just a cold expression on his face. He took a moment to glance at Link, and at one point in time, the boy would've shrunk in fear at his gaze. But now, the Hero of Time can only return with a defiant glare aimed towards him, confident in his victory, almost as if he was saying "You lost".

The trial was a short one, as Ganondorf stood there, answering the questions rather nonchalantly. One thing he said that made Link wanted to almost charge at him and pummel him right there, was that he only did all of this for the respect of his people.

 _'You liar. You wanted the Triforce to become a god.'_ Link thought with contempt.

All in all, there was so much evidence pointing to Ganondorf, that the King convicted him of conspiracy to overthrow the Royal Family, and sentenced him to death.

Link knew it was wrong to be happy that someone is going to get executed, but he'll make an exception for Ganondorf. It was a victory well served.

 _'You'll never hurt this kingdom anymore, you maniac._ _Whatever your demise will be, it'll be too good for you.'_ Link firmly stated in his mind as he nodded.

And so, he did as Navi said, preventing a desert king madman from ruling over the country of Hyrule. He wanted to thank Navi for it...

But no matter how much he mentally thanked his fairy companion, she wasn't there to really hear it, or even hear him say it out loud...only silence came as a reply.

Link sat there as he looked at the ground in sorrow...

Why did this hurt so _much_?

Link wished he could move on, but he _couldn't_. He just felt so _..._ _betrayed_.

Was it pitiful that he was going after his tiny fairy friend? Was this journey pointless? He was basically going off on theoretical leads! He might as well chase wind _..._

Link shook his head. _'No... I have to really know_ why. _'_

He heard a soft whine from Epona as he turned his head to see that she came up to him, nudging his face. Link chuckles as he pets and rubs her head. "You know...I'm really glad I at least got someone with me on this journey."

Epona neighed softly in content. The Hero of Time laughed lightly at her reply. "The feeling is mutual." He looked at her with a smile as he remembers how he obtained her exactly two days ago...and how he met Malon a second time exactly the day after that...

Link's smile faded as reflected something else.

He also met another person he was not familiar with...a very odd one at that.

* * *

 _Link was feeling quite elated. An hour ago in the late morning, he successfully thwarted Ganondorf's plot and had been tried and sentenced to death for his crimes. He, along with Zelda, felt happy to stop the tyrant's plans, feeling the sense of ease wrapped around them as they didn't have to feel any dread whatsoever that their Kingdom will be ruled by an evil king._

 _After Ganondorf was arrested, Zelda insisted on Link staying at the Castle for a while, which her father gladly agreed, feeling indebted for his service on saving the country of Hyrule. He accepted, appreciating the hospitality, and stayed in the guest quarters, which was lavish and huge._

 _After the Gerudo King's sentence, they decided to enjoy the sights and sounds around the city to celebrate this grand occasion._ _Now in the marketplace, Link, who was carrying his Kokiri Sword and a shield from the Royal Hylian Guard(given to him as a gift from the King), walked around the bustling town and its community while Zelda, who was now in disguise, was by his side. He remembered the town being filled with thriving activity, and he was happy to see that again. It was no longer a wasteland full of undead corpses, it was an actual, living, breathing town again._

'Wow...it's just like how I left it,' _Link thought to himself in awe._

 _"It's quite nice, isn't it?" a girl's voice said next to him._

 _He turned his head to Zelda, her headdress off and a brown cloak over her head as her golden blonde shoulder-length hair was down. She was wearing a simple outfit under the cloak; a white tunic, a brown skirt, along with brown boots, which made her look like the everyday people in the city._

 _Zelda turned her blue eyes to him and smiled. "We don't have to worry about our country being taken over. We basically altered the course of what would've happened. Hyrule can have a sigh of relief from all of this."_

 _Link smiled back at the princess in disguise. "Yeah. We certainly did. And not only that but we practically saved the whole world from Ganondorf."_

 _She shuddered at the thought. "Ugh, that would've been a dreadful thought. I can't believe he wanted to reach the Sacred Realm to get the Triforce for his own selfish ambitions."_

 _The Hero of Time hummed in agreement. "Well, we won't have to worry about him scheming anymore. Hopefully, that'll be the last time we see of him."_

 _"Indeed." Zelda concurred. She looked around the marketplace where she saw_ _the shops, people, and activity. "You know, I've never been to this part of the town."_

 _"You haven't?" Link asked her in question._

 _She shook her head. "No. Impa runs my errands for me. I only stay in the Castle most of the time, and when I do want to go out, either Impa or the Royal Guards accompany me. They don't want me to go anyplace that's crowded in fear that they'll lose me."_

 _"Oh..." Link frowned at the thought of just being cooped up at the Castle all day._

 _Zelda sees his frown and smiled, "Although, it is surprising that Impa and my father really trust you on accompanying me. Especially Impa; she watched over me ever since I was little. She's actually like a big sister to me."_

 _Link smiled at that. "Yeah. I'm actually flattered that she told me to watch over you."_

 _She giggled. "You must've really impressed her with that story about slaying a Gohma. I never thought one of those things would reside in the forest. They're usually mountain dwellers..." she mused for a second, "Although, they are some parasitic Gohmas that live in the forests and swamps."_

 _"Well, believe me, I have slain one...even though I was still too late to..." Link's face then changed into a doleful look, thinking about the Great Deku Tree._

 _The princess noticed his expression and felt saddened by the loss he had to endure. "Link, I do believe you...and I really am sorry for your loss. I'm sure you fought valiantly against it."_

 _Link turned to her again and smiled at her. He actually could remember fighting the Gohma...only this time he fought like a warrior instead of a beginner fighter in this reality. Blinking for a second at the oddity of how he would've fought with more experience the first time in this reality, he shook his head and asked her, "So, uh..._ _you've never been to these shops before?"_

 _Zelda glanced at the shops around them. "Not particularly. I've usually been inside the more upscale shops in town." She glanced at a peculiar-looking shop that the front of the exterior looked like a white pale mask, with the mouth of it arching over the closed entrance to the shop, and a window that was displaying three different masks. The window also had a sign in it that said 'CLOSED'._

 _She raised an eyebrow at the place as she read the name of it, "Happy Mask Shop?" she muttered in question._

 _Link glanced at the shop as well. He remembered passing by it once when he first entered Hyrule Castle Town. It looked odd and kind of out-of-place in this part of the town, and the masks that were displaying in the window that were being shown depicted facades of a white hawkish-looking face with a beak, a mask that looked like it belongs to the Sheikah with the tribe's emblem printed on it, and a mask that depicts the face of a Great Fairy._

 _Looking at the shop in wonder, he then hears the sounds of a horse's hooves clopping. Turning to the sound, his eyes widened._

 _On the other side of the street across from them was a little girl with red auburn hair and her young horse..._

'That's...that's Malon and Epona!' _Link thought in surprise._

 _Zelda glanced at what Link was gazing at it, and turned back to him saying, "What is it, Link? Do you know that girl?"_

 _He shook his head to clear his mind, muttering, "I-In a way..."_

 _The princess looked back at the girl and the young horse, which the former was holding and pulling a leash on the latter at its harness. She then noticed the two children across from her, and when seeing that they were looking at her, she smiled and waved._

 _"Hi!" chirped the girl cheerfully._

 _Zelda smiled back at her as she waved as well, "Hello!"_

 _"Uh...hi," Link said, a little hesitant as he raised his hand to greet her._

 _The girl(known to Link as Malon) came over to where they were, her horse clopping behind her. "Hey! I've never seen you two here before! What are your names? My name is Malon!"_

 _Link tensed a bit._ _The only downside of coming back to the past as a child at this timeline was that Link had to meet up with the people he already met anew. It was such a foreign feeling, remembering the people that you've already associated with in the future, while those same people didn't remember you in the slightest in this timeline reality._

 _Zelda, though, answered her question with a smile. "My name's Tetra."_

 _Snapping out of his thoughts, Link glanced at Zelda,_ 'Tetra? But her name is...oh!'

 _He looked back at Malon said with a stutter, "M-My name is Link!"_

 _Malon tilted her head at Link in curiosity when he tried to speak, but she smiled nonetheless. "Okay! Hi Tetra and Link! It's nice to meet you two! Are you both new to Hyrule Castle Town?"_

 _"Well, I am, in a way," Zelda, or 'Tetra', answered, "I've been here multiple times, but I've never been to this part of the city before. But my friend here is new." she motioned to Link._

 _"Oh okay! I don't really live here though myself, but I do know some places in town! I came into the city here with my dad as I live outside of town on a ranch." Malon explained. "Have you heard of Lon Lon Ranch?"_

 _"Oh, Lon Lon Ranch! Do you work there?" Zelda asked her in delight._

 _"Mm-hmm! I'm the owner's daughter! My dad is here in town for a delivery!" Malon informed._

 _"Wow! Your ranch has the finest horses and milk there!" Zelda complimented with a smile._

 _Malon smiled widely at the praise. "Thanks! Oh! I forgot to introduce you to Epona!" she turned to the horse named Epona. "Sorry girl."_

 _Epona neighs calmly._

 _She turned back to them and introduced the horse to them, "This here is Epona! She's my horse, and she's smart as a whip!"_

 _"She certainly does look beautiful," Zelda says as she went close to Epona to pet her. However, the young mare backed away from Zelda, making the princess blinked._

 _"Oh, sorry! Epona is a little shy," Malon said, petting Epona's muzzle. "She's like that towards people she doesn't know."_

 _Link stared at the horse as he reminisced riding the adult mare through the field of Hyrule, to the forest, and even to the Gerudo Valley. She certainly was - is, actually - a great horse; loyal, sweet, and strong._

 _When Epona looked at Link, though, she set her eyes on him. She stood still as she stared him down, blinking occasionally. Malon noticed this, and petted the horse and asked her, "What's wrong girl?" her gaze followed to where Epona was looking at, which it appeared to be Link._

 _"Uh..." Link wondered what Epona was looking at him for. She couldn't possibly know who he is...could she?_

 _It was then Epona slowly clopped her way to Link._

 _"Huh?" Link blinked as the horse came close to him._

 _"Epona?" Malon said puzzled._

 _Even Zelda looked on in curiosity._

 _Epona came up to Link and nuzzled his chest. Surprised, Link gradually raised his hand to pet her muzzle._

 _Malon blinked at the sight. "Wow...I think she likes you! She's never done this before..."_

 _Link kept petting Epona, stunned that she would be so comfortable with him, even when he hasn't played the song to soothe her nerves._

'It's like...she remembers me...' _the Hero of Time thought dumbfounded._

 _"H-Hey, Epona...aren't you a sweet horse?" Link said with a smile and soon a chuckle as she nuzzled him some more._

 _"Goodness, she_ really _likes you," Malon_ _said in surprise, "You must be good with animals to let Epona approach you."_

 _"Uh...I am somewhat." Link said a little sheepishly._

 _Malon formed a sweet smile. "Aww!" she then started to ponder, "Hmm...do you ride horses?"_

 _"Huh? Um, yeah, I-I ride horses." Link answered._

 _"You do?" Zelda asked in interest._

 _Link straightened up in alarm. "W-Well, I...I think I do, in my...in my mind." Link said, trying to cover his tracks._ 'Oh man, I really need to think these things through before I say them!'

 _Zelda raised an eyebrow at him, as well as Malon._

 _"I, uh, I mean...hey, I got to at least ride some animal in a past life, right?" Link said, trying to muster up a joke, but sounded nervous acting either way. He cringed,_ 'Ugh...real smooth.' _He could see Navi rolling her eyes right now._

 _Zelda's eyes widened. "Past life? You mean like in reincarnation?"_

 _Link turned to Zelda with a blink. "Huh?"_

 _The princess mused about it, "Hmm...I have read that some people of holy or even much higher status chosen by the Gods and Goddesses can be reincarnated into a mortal body when they are slain."_

 _Now Link raised an eyebrow. "Really?"_

 _"Well, it's what I read," Zelda informed. "I don't know if it's true or not."_

 _Malon apparently was lost on the conversation, but she soon giggled. The princess and hero both turned to look at the farm girl._

 _"What?" Zelda asked, wondering what she found amusing._

 _Ceasing her giggles, Malon said, "Sorry, I just thought it was funny how we're talking about this deep spiritual stuff for our ages. I honestly couldn't comprehend all of that. I just believe in The Three Golden Goddesses as well as Hylia, and that They can do anything. That's all I feel like I need to know, really."_

 _Blinking at that, Zelda and Link glanced at each other and back at Malon. The princess in disguise smiled at the redhead, "Yes, I agree with that. We should all just believe and have faith in everyone and everything."_

 _Malon smiled big. "Absolutely!" she then looked at Link, "So, you think you can ride horses, huh? Where are you from?"_

 _"Uh...I...I'm from a village off in the forest." Link said discreetly._

 _"Really?" Malon said with big curious eyes. She glanced at the attire he's wearing, and her face looked understanding, "Oh, I see!" she giggled once more, "I should've known! You're wearing green!"_

 _Link smiled timidly, "Uh-heh, yeah..."_ 'Well, at least she isn't calling me Fairy Boy now.'

 _"Well, anyway, since Epona likes you, would you and Tetra like to visit the ranch sometime? Maybe you can both see all the horses the ranch has to offer?" the farm girl looked around them, "By the way, where are your parents?"_

 _Link's expression turned faint with melancholy. "Um..."_

 _Zelda decided to cut in quickly, "Uh, my father is off on business right now. Link's parents are..." Zelda scrounged up something, "back at his home!"_

 _"Really? You mean your parents are back at your house?" Malon asked Link curiously. "How did you get here then if you're new here?"_

 _"Oh, well, he, uh-" Zelda anxiously began to come up with something else, but Link stopped her._

 _"It's okay, Tetra. I'll tell her," Link reassured her with a smile._

 _'Tetra' looked at him with worry in her eyes._

 _Link then said to Malon, "They are at home. My friend and her parents picked me up at my house and I'm staying at her home for a while in Kakariko Village."_

 _Malon brightened up, seeming to buy the story. "Oh, Kakariko Village! Okay then! Well, maybe you and Tetra can come by to the ranch tomorrow or whenever and ride some horses! Maybe you can even ride Epona, Link! What do you think?"  
_

 _Smiling at that, Link replied, "That would be nice! Thank you."_

 _"That does sound like fun," Zelda commented with delight, "I might need to speak to my 'mother' about it, though. She's very protective of me when it comes to riding a horse by myself."_

 _The redhead beamed with excitement. "Okay! Great! Do your parents know where the ranch is?"_

 _"Um, yes, they do," Zelda stated._

 _"Uh, I think I saw it while I was passing by with Tetra. I have a mirrored memory," Link said._

 _"Awesome! Well, if you do have permission from your parents, then maybe you can come by tomorrow?"_

 _"I'll see if we can," Zelda assured._

 _"Great! Hope to see you at the ranch!" chirped Malon. As she was about to make her leave, she stopped and looked at the Link for a moment, gazing at him with an interest in her eyes._

 _Wondering what that look was for, Link asked curiously, "Is...something wrong?"_

 _Malon tilted her head as her face twisted into a look of suspicion. "Hey...you_ are _carrying a real shield. And it looks like it belongs to the Hylian Royal Guard...and you seem to be carrying a sword on your back as well."_

 _Eyes widened in alarm at her accurate observation, Link froze._

 _"Why is that? Do you know how to fight?" she asked intrigued._

 _Trying to think of something on the spot, the hero stuttered, "I, um, w-w-well, I-"_

 _"Yes, he does," Zelda answered for him, which Link turned to her in mouth-dropped surprise._

 _"Really?" the farm girl said in shock._

 _"Yes," continued Zelda with a smile, "He's practically a natural, and he watches over me whenever he can. He's basically like my bodyguard right now."_

 _"Oh..." Malon blinked as she tilted her head once more inquiringly, "Wow...you must be great friends."_

 _"Uh..." Link smiled sheepishly, "Yeah..."_

 _Malon hummed in thought putting a finger on her chin...but she then grinned, "Well, you always got to protect the ones you know and care about! Hey, maybe you can show me some fancy fighting tricks at the ranch tomorrow?"_

 _"Um, yeah, sure," Link said with a shy blush._

 _The farm girl giggled. "Okay then! Epona and I got to get back to my dad, though. He's probably gonna be done with his shipment soon. I'll see you two later at the ranch! Come on, Epona, let's go!"_

 _And with that, Malon pulled the leather leash on Epona's harness and the young horse(who gave Link one last little nuzzle) clopped behind her, as they walked off into the throng of people of the marketplace._

 _As soon as Malon was out of earshot, Link turned to Zelda with an embarrassed smile, "So, I'm your bodyguard?"_

 _Zelda giggled as she turned to Link, "Well, as of now, you are. Just don't tell Impa I said that."_

 _Link chuckled at the joke, "Sure thing. And nice name by the way."_

 _"Thanks! I got it from a character in one of my favorite adventure books." Zelda informed jubilantly._

 _"Ah, hello there!" said a refined and chipper voice._

 _Startled, the two turned to the voice that spoke to them._

 _A tall and gangly man was standing there in the opened entrance of the shop, wearing a purple thin jacket attached to a golden collar neck and shoulder piece, as well as a purple jumpsuit, complete with golden wrist bracelets and pointy purple shoes. His short orange-red hair was groomed and combed neatly, while his eyes looked to be squinting. He was, however, displaying a very wide, yet unnerving smile, showing his pearly white teeth._

 _"I see you two are interested in my masks, yes?" the man asked, his smile still plastered on his face._

 _"Oh, um, well, w-we were just-" Link managed to say, but the man interrupted him._

 _"In that case, you came to the right place! I sell and search for masks far and wide! Masks that are special, masks that bring a tear to your eye!" the man rhymed gleefully as he put on an unexpected showmanship performance in front of them, "I even sell rare masks, all kinds of masks, all you need to do is ask! I make sure each mask will be a blast, each to make you happy, ones that will_ surely last~!" _he said with a grandeur finish, spreading his arms and hands wide in the air._

 _Both Link and Zelda blinked in perplexity at the passion that this man was displaying._

 _The man straightened his posture, his hands clasping onto his palms, as his head tilted towards them, the same smile kept on his face. "So, would you both like to buy a mask?"_

 _Zelda, feeling a little confused by the whole spectacle that this man had made, asked as she spoke up, "Um...I'm sorry, but...weren't you closed?"_

 _"Hmm?" the man hummed in question. He turned his head to the display window, which Zelda and Link both looked at where he was staring at._

 _The sign that once said 'CLOSED', now revealed the words 'OPEN' on it._

 _Zelda blinked in surprise. "Oh..."_

 _The man turned his head back to Zelda, "You've reached the time I opened! Surely you must be customers that are waiting for the shop to be opened, hmm?"_

 _Link, who looked stunned by the man's performance for the wrong reasons, answered, "Uh...a-actually...we were just passing through."_

 _The man stood there for a second with that same smile on his face, until it instantly dropped, his shoulders slumping a bit. "Oh...I see,"_

 _Zelda could feel the disappointment coming from the man and began to feel bad. "Well...we could probably look inside your shop for a bit."_

 _The man instantly lit up. "You would?"_

 _"We would?" Link questioned to Zelda._

 _The princess turned to Link with a smile. "Sure! Why not? I'm kind of interested in masks. People would use masks in ancient cultures for certain rituals, and I always liked to look at the craftsmanship of them. It could be fun!"_

 _The salesman grinned at the girl's knowledge. "Indeed! You certainly sound like you know your stuff, little girl! You must be an aficionado of masks!"_

 _Shy at the praise that was given to her, she muttered, "Well, I just study, is all."_

 _The man chuckled a 'Ho ho ho!' as he stepped aside to let them enter the shop. "Well then, little ones, I have some interesting masks that are displayed! Would you like to come inside and take a look around? You can ask me any questions about the masks."_

 _Zelda smiled sweetly at the man. "Alright," she entered the shop first, while_ _Link frowned as he raised an eyebrow, a little suspicious at the invitation._

 _"Do you have anything else besides masks?" asked Link._

 _Turning his attention to the boy, the salesman closed his grin into a smile. "What's the matter? You don't like masks?"_

 _Link shrugged, "No offense, I just don't see the appeal."_

 _Stroking his chin with his fingers, the man hummed with a knowing smile. "Aaah...you're the type that prefers grown-up toys, hm?"_

 _Looking at him oddly, Link said, "Huh?"_

 _"Link! Look at this mask!" Zelda called out to him._

 _Averting his attention away from the salesman to Zelda, he said, "Coming, Tetra!"_

 _As soon as Link entered the moderately sized shop and went to where Zelda was, she was holding a mask in front of her. It was an eyeless wooden mask of a beautiful Hylian woman's face with accented golden-yellow carved wooden strands of 'hair', with her expression holding a look of serenity, peace, and warmth. It looked a little worn, but it was still in good shape._

 _"Wow! This is such a beautiful mask. I wonder who made this?" Zelda wondered._

 _"Ah! That mask is actually ancient," the salesman informed as he came up to them. "It was said to be made by a young Sheikah in honoring the Goddess of Time, Hylia. I call that one, Hylia's Mask!"_

 _"Really?" Zelda asked in intrigue. "Is this a true depiction of Her?"_

 _"It might be," the salesman replied with a smile._

 _Zelda gazed at it in awe, absolutely fascinated by the artwork and the almost-likeness of it. Link had to admit, even though he didn't know what the face of Hylia looks like, he had to admire the work that was put on it. And it did look a little old, as the paint chips look authentic and the wood seemed rustic. It also was a little dusty._

 _Zelda smiled. "How much?"_

 _Link blinked. "You're gonna buy it?"_

 _"Of course! I think I might give it to Immmm-mother!" she caught herself in time to correct herself, looking embarrassed._

 _"Ho ho ho!" The salesman chuckled, "Why, how nice of you, little girl._ Tetra _, isn't it?"_

 _"Oh! Uh, yessir!" 'Tetra' nodded._

 _"Well, the price for this is originally five-hundred rupees, BUT, since you're a first time customer and you look just like Hylia Herself, I will give it to you for only ten rupees." the man told her with a genuine smile._

 _"Oh! Really?" Zelda asked in shock._

 _"Really?" Link asked with a raised disbelieving eyebrow. "Wow, talk about a price drop."_

 _"Deal!" Zelda eagerly said as she got her wallet(which looked intricate, to begin with) and got out two blue rupees and handed them to the salesman._

 _"Ho ho ho! Thank you for your purchase!" he said with his peculiar laugh as he took the rupees. "And I must say, even if the mask is from your mother, I bet you can wear it too! I mean it when I said you looked like Hylia. You can practically play her_ _!"_

 _Zelda blushed a little bit, looking a little timid, "Oh, I don't know if I make such a good Hylia."_

 _"Well, you'll never know! It would only be a matter of 'time'. Ho ho ho!" the salesman joked._

 _Zelda softly giggled at that, while Link didn't look impressed with that joke. He glanced around the shop until he spotted something that was at the checkout counter. Leaning against it were giant sacks upon sacks and a sleeping bag that on top of them._

 _Curious about that, Link asked the man as he pointed at the sacks, "Hey, what's with the bags over there?"_

 _The man looked to where he was pointing. "Oh, those are my things for when I start traveling."_

 _"Traveling? Where are you going?" Zelda asked him._

 _"Oh, places that pique my interest. I travel far and wide across this great land to sell many different masks to many people, as well as finding new ones. I'm actually leaving tomorrow for exactly a month, so if there's anything you like to buy now, you might need to do it soon before I leave."_

 _Zelda pursed her lips in thought. "Hmm..." she shook her head, "No, this will be all. We have to go anyways; it's close to lunchtime."_

 _"Ah, yes, I understand," the salesman nodded with a smile. "Well, it was nice meeting you, little ones! I will be back soon in one month from now with brand new masks to bring happiness to everyone!"_

 _"Hm...okay." Link said a little hesitant, "Is this like a good time of the year to start looking for masks or something?"_

 _"Oh, well, I just decided to. The season is really good this time of year, and I just love to meet new people. Also, I find the journey to be very exhilarating." the man explained with his smile._

 _"Huh. Okay then. Well, good luck and have a safe trip, Mr.," he paused for a moment. "...Wait. Actually, we haven't gotten your name."_

 _"Oh, my! You're right! Pardon me for my rudeness." the salesman apologized as he did a formal bow. "Everyone here calls me by my name...Omen."_

 _"Omen, huh?" Link questioned._

 _"Well, thank you very much, Mr. Omen. It was a pleasure meeting you and being in your shop." Zelda said kindly._

 _"Thank you for the kind words, Little Miss! Until next time, believe in your strengths! Good-bye!"_

 _"Bye!" Zelda said with a smile as she scurried out the door with her mask._

 _"Well, uh, it was nice meeting you as well, Mr. Omen. Thank you," Link said to him._

 _"Ah, yes, it was nice meeting you too, Link, is it?" Omen asked._

 _"Yessir."_

 _"Well then Link, I hope you will find happiness wherever you go."_

 _Link blinked at that statement. "Uh...okay?"_

 _Omen laughed, "Ho ho ho! Until we meet again! Farewell!"_

 _"Uh...yeah. Bye," Link said, giving a strange look at him as he passed him._

 _As soon as he was outside, Zelda was waiting there for him. They walked side-by-side with each other in silence for a bit._

 _It was then Zelda spoke, "I like Mr. Omen. He seems like a nice man."_

 _"Yeah, he...seems like it. A_ _little odd, but nice...I suppose," Link muttered._

 _"Well, I think it's very nice that he gave this to me at a very cheap price," Zelda said as she gazed at the mask, admiring it._

 _Link shrugged. "Yeah...I guess."_

 _And it was with that, they continued on through the town and made their way back over to Hyrule Castle for lunch._

* * *

Link sat there on the grassy field as he felt the cool late morning breeze colliding onto his whole being.

The next day after that was when he and Zelda(still disguised as Tetra) went to Lon Lon Ranch. Thanks to Impa(who was disguised as well, so she wouldn't be discovered), they made it there for their playdate with Malon and Epona. When seeing how Epona was taking a liking to Link, going as far as letting him ride her, Malon was absolutely convinced that her horse liked him. After a while of riding horses, and seeing how Link did really well on Epona, Malon asked him if he would like to own her. Surprised by the offer, he tried to decline, but she insisted since he and Epona were getting along so well, and felt like she would like to get out more on the open range as well go to different places instead of being cooped up in a ranch all the time. She even taught Link Epona's Song again and gave her to him for free.

Touched by that, Link accepted her gift and is now the proud owner of Epona.

Really, it still baffled Link on how Epona could remember him. It was like she wasn't affected by all this time traveling phenomenon. Maybe it had something to do with her being an animal since they technically don't have memories, but live on instincts. Not to say that she didn't remember him; she could have sensed a familiar aura on him and instantly recognized him. Or maybe animals have some sort of spiritual connection with their owners.

Either way, it comforted Link to know that someone, even though she was an animal, had remembered their time in the future together.

Smiling at that memory, Link sat there as he turns his head to Epona, who was next to him eating a patch of grass.

He also recalled Malon's promise to him when she officially gave him Epona.

 _ **-O-**_

 _"Now, be very good to her, treat her right, and care for her every day," Malon told Link._

 _The boy chuckled, "Don't worry. I'll treat her like she's family." he gave Epona a sweet pat._

 _Malon smiled warmly at him. "I'm certain you will. Epona likes you for a reason, so I think...you're a very special person if she likes you."_

 _Blinking at that statement, Link blushed and bashfully rubbed the back of his head, "Um...thanks, Malon."_

 _She giggled, "No problem! All I ask of you is to make sure she isn't hurt when you're with her. She's very special to me."_

 _Link nodded firmly. "I promise."_

 _Malon's smile became warmer. "That's good. Well...she's all yours now...Link."_

 ** _-O-_**

Reliving that memory made Link's smile wide with pride. He pets the top of his new companion's head affectionally, which Epona enjoyed as she nudged the boy's face with hers. Chuckling at the contact, he patted her muzzle tenderly.

 _'At least I have one friend who won't abandon me...'_

His mood turned slightly desolate once he thought of Navi.

The next day after that was him and Epona riding around town, exploring new areas and places as he took in the sights and sounds of the city. But he mostly missed riding her, as he wanted to experience the thrill that he felt when he was once older. During that day, he also joined Zelda and Impa at their outings and talked with them...

And one of those talks involved him making the decision of trying to find his friend...

Now, today, after four days in Hyrule Castle and Hyrule Castle Town, he is looking for that friend...his friend named Navi.

 _'...I have to know. I know you said it's because I'm mature enough to make my own decisions and that I don't need a fairy anymore, but...I just...I have to know. I have to know why...just why?'_

Getting up from his spot, Link went over to Epona, pets her and says, "Okay, girl. I think we've relaxed enough. Let's get going."

Epona complied with a snort. Link climbed on his young horse and onto the saddle. He looked out at the field once more, enjoying the beauty of this land. Taking a deep breath and letting it out, he gave out a look of resolution on his face.

"Alright...let's go, Epona," he said with eyes that showed determination.

The horse neighed as she ran across the grassy field with Link riding her.

From this point on, the Hero of Time was starting a new adventure. Today is Link's journey...his journey to find a lost and beloved friend.

* * *

 **End of Act 1: Chapter 2**

* * *

 **Alrighty! As you can see, I changed a lot of stuff here! Hopefully, it's still interesting! Tell me how I did! :)**

 **Also, I named the Happy Mask Salesman 'Omen' because that's actually his Japanese translated name in the Zeldapedia on Wikia. Don't worry, that won't be his real name. It's just a ruse for now. ;D**

 **So basically this is just a chapter of flashbacks, but hopefully, they'd given you a glimpse of what passed during that time. Although just to give you a heads up, there will be more flashbacks in the future. However, they won't be from Link this time!** **We'll also have new characters stop by in the story, as well as more plot development, so get pumped for that! XD**

 **But yeah, tell me what you think of this so far! If you like it, leave a review, follow, or fave! I love to hear if it's good! :)**

 **Until then, keep on rocking everybody! ^_^**

 **-TSP**


	3. ACT 1 - 3: What Was Left Behind

**[EDIT: 4/5/2020] Edited a little bit to make things even more clear. XP**

* * *

Placing the teapot on the metal burner that was under the small fire that he made in front of him, Omen took his already filled metal teacup and brought it to his lips. Smelling the aroma of his herbal tea, he smiled at the sweet scent. He gingerly sipped it, the clear warm beverage relaxing his senses. Taking a sigh in delight, he sat there cross-legged, enjoying the peace and serene out in the fields of Hyrule.

This was his third day traveling through the country of Hyrule and he could see the forests out on the horizon as he rests. Such a picturesque scene can take anyone's breath away as he sees the wind travel through the trees in the distance as their leaves and limbs sway. Omen was actually sitting underneath a stray tree, the shade protecting him from the early afternoon sun as he was preparing his daily tea. He was just ten minutes away within walking distance from the Kokiri Forest, home of the creatures known as the Kokiri.

He heard tales of these beings, taking the forms of mere children when they are in the vicinity of their dwelling place. When a Kokiri exits those woods, however, they will transform into spirit-like entities, losing their child-like appearances. He believed they were called Koroks. Either way, they sound like fascinating creatures, as they never seem to age, keeping their youthful visage. The Kokiri were said to be well hidden in the far reaches of the woods, in an area known as the Lost Woods.

It's said that these parts of the woods seem to surround and protect the Kokiri settlement from any outsiders, all of which it kept them away from the forest's residents through magical means. Whether it be an overconfident traveler searching for these 'forest people', or a wanderer who wishes to just journey in the woods with no malicious intent, the Lost Woods will surely confuse and baffle many people alike.

Although if one still pursues the Kokiri, they will only succeed in either getting themselves lost, going back to where they once were, or perish while finding where these forest people are, transforming themselves into regretful souls known as Poes or Stalfos.

Omen had heard once that the source of these woods was that of a mythical Tree, a Tree that is only watching out for _his_ forest children.

But the salesman was not there to search for any forest people. No, he was just looking for villages and people in parts of the forest that could buy his wares.

...Although, these forest children would make interesting clients if he ever spots one.

Actually, that would be one of the great highlights so far on his trip!

Smiling at that, Omen said to himself, "I hope the Great Deku Tree will let me," he chuckled mirthfully at the comment as he sipped his hot tea.

He wondered what kind of auras the Kokiri will have...

...Speaking of which, something struck him as odd two days ago back at Hyrule Castle Town. It was those two children that came into his shop. One a pretty little girl with blonde hair and the other a boy clothed in green...

The strange thing about them...was that their auras were not of the norm.

The auras in people, let it be Hylians, Sheikah, Gorons, Zoras, or any other races, all share distinct colors. Each color would tell them what their personality is, their hopes and dreams, and most of all, their ambition. If that person's aura was green, then he or she has the aura of innocence and happiness. If one is red, then it has the aura of determination. If one is blue, then it holds a burden. There were plenty more, but these colors can even be mixed within the person's aura that surrounds them to show off the prominent emotion that floods them. If it emits a bright or even brighter glow on that person, then that emotion is strong in them, such as a warrior's intent or expressing joy and happiness.

And as for these two children that he mentioned, they held two specific colors in their auras that were quite rare for anyone to have. They were not known to be emotions, but for status and stature...

The girl name 'Tetra' had a unique glow among her emotions and with her aura, the color being a bright golden yellow. This color represents something quite...holy. It holds a sense of just and righteousness...but it was in a little girl.

This aura that he sensed in 'Tetra' was something that should belong to a high deity.

It almost felt like...

Omen's smile gradually dropped.

...

...He was happy now...and he wouldn't have it any other way.

He nodded to himself.

...Still, he figured that this girl held something rather _extraordinary_ within her...which made him have his suspicions on wondering who 'Tetra' exactly was...

 _'...She really did look like Hylia.'_

Omen hummed...he sipped his tea, as he sat there in thought...

...His mind drifted off to the Princess of Hyrule, Zelda. She was about the same age as that girl that was in his shop he would presume.

"...Hm..."

Could it be...?

 _'...Either way, whoever that girl was,_ _I really_ _hope she'll be able to carry that burden and power whenever the time comes...whatever that responsibility could be, I really don't know...'_

"Hm...quite peculiar," mutters Omen.

But as for the boy's aura, he also had somewhat more of an unusual glow. It had the same radiate glow around him as did the girl, except...there was traces of blue in his aura. And unlike the holy aura around her, this specific color...was white.

This aura itself was among the rarest. It doesn't speak of a holy nature, yet...in ways, it does. It represents someone that is highly revered, someone who is _chosen_ in the line of Gods and Goddesses. It was more of high status, one that was close to deity level...even though he didn't look like one.

...In fact, speaking of deities...

Before he met those children a day before he packed his things, he witnessed another unnatural aura that was rather...troubling.

The reason he's traveling around the land of Hyrule so soon was mostly due to the Gerudo King's arrival. And his aura...was something that caught his attention. The Desert King, known as Ganondorf, also had two other colors that were surrounding the Gerudo's aura. There were two common colors in it, red and black. He was quite determined about something, but the other one...it represents something much darker.

While it's a common emotion for people, this emotion was...very strong.

It was just a simple black. That is present to people when they feel three things:

Anger. Hatred. _Malice._

Again, this man's black aura was quite strong, radiant even _._ When he caught a glimpse of the man as he arrived in the square of Castle Town, Omen couldn't help but concentrate on that aura...

But the _real_ color that was unnatural, as well as present in that man, was also...a purple.

Purple...was an unholy aura.

And that disturbed Omen quite a bit.

The Gerudo King, Ganondorf, carried a bright but dark glowing presence surrounding him. The aura, as said before, felt determined, albeit it was of dishonesty and deceit. Mixed with these two sinister colors...

It symbolizes that dark and evil forces are at work...

But the most disturbing detail about Ganondorf...was that Omen had felt this type of aura before...

The salesman's expression was blank as he mused over this information.

"...Hmm..."

If he recalls, the Gerudo King was heading to Hyrule Castle for a meeting with the King...and if what he felt was any indication, combined with what Omen has with him, away from curious eyes if the King of the Gerudos was to ever see _it_...

...For it to _call_ him...

He didn't want to take any chances.

With that, he packed all of his things for a long journey ahead. He prepared to head out of the city and go off somewhere, anywhere far away, until everything would calm down again...away from any potential danger that could happen.

Until...something else caught his attention.

As he made his way out through the streets of Hyrule Castle Town, he sensed something else that made him stop.

What it was...was a bright white aura. It shined bright, making it be the most noticeable one out of all the people that were in the city of Castle Town. Omen could make out that the light was far off where he was, entering the square he presumed.

And that aura was running...quite fast to be honest.

It seemed to be going towards Hyrule Castle, his aura shining bright with determination. It felt like it had a purpose to fulfill, to uphold its duty, whatever that may be.

This was the same light that he encountered three days ago...the one in the _boy..._

The whole thing was...curious, to say the least.

But what made it more bizarre...was that in the distance, Omen felt _another_ bright white aura. One that was exactly the same as the one running towards the Castle...and it came out of _nowhere_.

The other light seemed to start running as well...if he would've guessed from the distance this aura was in, it was somewhere near or _in_ the Temple of Time...

Then...something quite odd happened. He didn't know what to make of it himself, honestly.

The two bright white lights look as if they were going to meet one another with the speed they were going in. In fact, they could very likely be running into each other at any moment.

But they didn't...

It was really odd. From what Omen saw...

...the two bright lights...collided into each other.

And by that, he means...they were joined into one.

They joined into one _being_...literally.

When that occurred, the aura was still shining bright. It still kept going...straight to the Castle.

Though it did falter when the two collided into each other, it still ran to its destination...

Omen then felt a strange...shift in the atmosphere. Like something was tampering with the air, the surroundings, the...very notion of reality.

 _Something_ happened that only _he_ had witnessed...something that no mere mortal could comprehend...

To say he was interested was an understatement. And from how bright the aura was, to where it was going, he felt his whole being...be completely at ease, somewhat. By seeing that aura go to its destination, he had a feeling that it was trying to prevent something from happening.

Could this person that held this aura sense the danger that was on the Gerudo King? Could it somehow predict what was going to happen? What _was_ going to happen if that's the case?

Either way, he decided to stay one more day to see how things will turn out.

Surprisingly enough, things had turned out...rather unexpected, but in a good way. Ganondorf was tried with treason and was sentenced to be executed. Whatever plans he was trying to carry out, they were foiled before it even began.

And Omen had the feeling that person with a white bright aura had something to do with it.

Funny enough though...he met that person.

And it was a boy.

When he met this boy, named Link, he had that same aura on him. It didn't radiate brightly like it did when he first saw the aura, but he can tell that this was the same aura that he sensed. And this _boy's_ aura was quite content. Also, while he was with 'Tetra', he acted quite mature for his age. He seemed to look and act like he held years of experience and confidence, maybe even knowledge...

But he also held...sadness...

What he also noticed about Link was that he was wearing a green tunic and a long green hat...such attire would definitely belong to someone like a Kokiri. He last heard that they wear green clothes from what he heard of the sightings that people have claimed to see.

He wondered...could this boy, Link, be from the forest? Was Link the same person that Omen sensed coming through town? Did that other _same_ white aura belong to that boy?

The salesman wasn't quite sure...and he was sure about a lot of things.

"Hm...quite peculiar indeed," Omen muttered with a thoughtful frown. However, his mouth turned into a small smile once more, "Yet, everything worked out well! A true blessing from the Goddesses."

As Omen sat there on the grass, he looked at his surroundings, the setting so tranquil. His bundle of sacks was set on the ground next to him as several masks were hanging from them. He then looked up at the blue sky. It was a beautiful day, the clouds floating in the vastness of the Heavens...

He nodded, his smile growing wider, "It certainly is a good day to go traveling. Goddesses' bless this day that has been made."

He sat there relaxed as he enjoyed the slight breeze of the wind. Humming in thought, he said out loud, "Perhaps I could go to these Lost Woods to find some Kokiri. I could try to advertise my masks to them..." he then grinned, "I guess I've decided! Ho ho ho!"

With that, he took another sip of his tea. Once he finishes the beverage, he'll carry on with his journey. He surely hopes that he will sell some of his masks to potential customers as he travels. Maybe even find more masks himself!

...Omen turned his head to the sacks that are piled onto each other.

Somewhere in that pile...one mask that he brought with him was hidden from eager eyes. Put in a case that only he can memorize the lock...

...Like before, he didn't want to take any chances.

Turning his head away from the sacks, the salesman took another sip of his herbal tea, finishing it. As he gave a sigh of relief from the hot and warm drink, he stared straight ahead to where his next destination will be.

"...Well, time to get moving!" he said with a smile. Putting out the fire below the metal burner as he waited for it to cool off, he hung his teapot on one of the hooks of the sacks and put up his teacup. After getting everything packed, he heaved up the luggage that looks quite heavy for him to carry(but doesn't seem to give in to the weight) and made his way to the forest.

Just another day for a traveling salesman...

* * *

"Skull Kid! Skull Kid! Skuuuullll Kiiid!" called out a tiny dark purple fairy, "Where are you?"

"Tael, he's not gonna just tell you! This is 'hide and seek' for a reason," said a tiny golden yellow fairy.

"Aw, come on, Sis! At least give me a hint as to where he might be!" the purple fairy known as Tael told his sister.

She rolled her eyes, "I think that defeats the purpose of the game, little brother."

"Aw man! Just cause you know where he is and I don't, doesn't mean you have to follow me!" Tael said to his sister in annoyance.

"I'm just making sure you don't wander too far off into the woods. You know better than to leave our 'hide and seek' spot," Tatl reminded him.

"Yeah, yeah..." Tael mumbled, "Still, I don't want you to baby me around Skull Kid."

Tatl smirked, "Aw, now Tael, you'll still be my baby brother whether you like it or not!"

Tael humphed, "I'm not a baby..."

And the two fairies continued to look for their friend named Skull Kid as they proceed to do the 'seeking' portion of their game.

However, another being, a child, was hiding up in the trees, the branches and greenery hiding his form as he watched downward at the two little fairies.

This child would be known as one of the cryptic beings called a Stalchild, the child equivalent to a Staflos. Yet, he was not one. He's a different type of being, aged in time, even though he is still a child. What he is, was apparently described as something of an Imp, a being with magical abilities that they use for their own entertainment. This Imp forever takes the form of a child, which he still acts in a way.

Even though he resides in the woods, the Kokiri Forest is actually not his home. He is somewhat a mysterious being, even to the Children of the Forest, the Kokiri. No one knew where he came from when he first entered the Kokiri Forest and the Lost Woods. He just recently arrived in the forest three months ago. Some say he's from a faraway land, away from the land of Hyrule. The Kokiri don't even know his name...and quite frankly, neither does he. All they know is that he is a trickster, an Imp, and uses magical means to trick his victims, whether they are in his territory or whether he just felt like it.

As mentioned before, this child doesn't have a real name. He might have a name at one point, but it was lost in time, for he had to live by himself his whole life. Although, when he was living in the Forest of the Kokiri, he came across some Stalchildren one time at night, and when upon seeing their ghostly skeletal bodies, he thought that they looked 'cool'. They became friends for a while until they had to disappear when the morning came. It was until then, he decided to call himself _the_ Skull Kid, thinking it was a prominent name for him.

Either way, the now newly named Skull Kid lived his life in the woods for four months, whether causing mischief or searching for any new friends.

 _The_ Skull Kid had a peculiar yet almost frightening appearance. His skin looked like brownish leather, his nose almost non-existent, his mouth small with small sharp-looking teeth, and his eyes having an orange color. He was wearing what looked like old torn clothes, along with pointy looking shoes, and fingerless gloves. He was also sporting a straw looking hat.

Stifling a giggle, he remained hidden from his fairy friends on top of the trees of the Lost Woods, going as far as using his magic to turn himself invisible.

 _'Hehe! They're just below me! They don't know I'm up here!'_ Skull Kid thought with glee, _'Hmm...i_ _t would be funny to surprise them...nah, I don't want to give myself away too easily! I'll just wait 'till they pass this tree a little more.'_

Meanwhile, the fairies Tatl and Tael have been searching for what seemed to be over ten minutes. Tael was surely intent on trying to find Skull Kid, whether his sister would help him or not.

"Come on, Sis, just give me one little hint!" Tael whined.

"Nope," Tatl shook her head.

"Ugh! Just cause you can sense where he is and I can't, doesn't mean you can act high and mighty about it!"

"Hey, come on, Tael, I _am_ the oldest! It's only natural that I get the Fairy Sense first at a certain age!" Tatl informed. "And I don't act high and mighty about it!"

"Oh _sure,_ you don't go around saying _'Hey!'_ or _'Look!'_ or even _'Listen up!'_ all the time around me and Skull Kid recently! I bet even he gets tired of it!"

"Well, can you blame me? Fairy Sense is a sign of maturity, and I got this at age fifteen!"

"Tch, yeah, like you're _way_ mature," Tael said, rolling his eyes. "One year later and you still don't want to share your food with me!"

"Hey, I'm just looking out for you! You don't need to eat too much!"

"And you should?"

Tatl pouted. "You wouldn't like the forest nuts I eat, okay?"

"Yeah, I bet they were _delicious_ , weren't they?"

" _Listen_ , we're here to play a game here, not argue. Besides, I'm certain when you'll get your Fairy Sense soon. They only come to a fairy when they reach their teens."

"Well, I'm thirteen! You're sixteen, and you said you got it when you're fifteen!"

"Well, you could be an early bloomer."

Tael looked at her with wide eyes filled with hope. "You really think so?"

Tatl smiled at her little brother's reaction. "You never know! This is a good exercise for you though, so finding Skull Kid is your top priority!"

The purple fairy groaned, "Okay, fine," he kept looking around the premise for Skull Kid with his sister.

After a while, Tatl can see that he was struggling just a bit and decided to try to give him one little hint.

 _'Man, I'm such a softie.'_ she thought. "Hey, _look_ , no need to get _up-_ pity, Tael."

Tael looked at her oddly, "Huh?"

"No need to let yourself _looking_ all _up_ -pity."

"...What?" Tael was confused.

Tatl sighed and nodded her head upward while her eyes were looking up.

Blinking, Tael hesitantly looked up...it soon clicked in his mind what his sister was trying to tell him. Glancing back at his sister, his mouth formed into an 'O' and he looked back up. Glancing at his sister one more time with a silent "Thanks, Sis!", he flew upward into the tree's branches. Tatl just rolled her eyes with a smile and followed him.

The tiny duo went up further in the trees and tried to locate where Skull Kid is, the foliage obscuring their vision. Still using his invisibility, the Imp crouched on the branch once he saw the glow of the fairies a ways off.

 _'Uh oh! They're close! Hm...Tatl must've given Tael a hint. Oh well...hmm...I'll just stay here for five more minutes and then I'll make my move...I can't keep using this invisible magic any longer,'_ Skull Kid mused, already planning an escape route.

Tael, in the meantime, flew around a little bit more, still struggling to try to find the Imp. "Could you give me another hint, Sis?" he whispered.

"Tael, of course not. That was the only hint you'll be getting." Tatl made clear.

"Aww, come on! What if he tries to escape?"

"Well, you better hurry up then."

"Ugh!" Tael groaned.

"Look, little brother, just try to listen to anything that sounds suspicious."

"How do I do that?"

"Well, for one, you and I will be quiet so you can concentrate. Secondly, just trust your gut feeling."

"My gut feeling? Don't I need a Fairy Sense for that?"

"Hey, sometimes following your instinct is as best as overthinking it." Tatl reasoned.

Tael thought about that for a moment and nodded. "Okay then," he, along with his sister, went quiet, letting the silence overtake his senses. He closed his eyes to further concentrate on the sounds that the forest was making...

...Birds were chirping...

...The wind was blowing...

...Some animals were frolicking in the wood in the distance...

...A branch then made a sound.

Tael eyes snapped open and turned to the noise.

He sees a branch that was moving up and down. Then another branch moved, and then another. There was a patch of moving air that seemed to have a silhouette of a small child. It went further away...

"There!" exclaimed Tael as he pointed.

Tatl smiled. "Well, don't just hover there, go get him!"

With a big grin, Tael flew as quick as he could to Skull Kid.

Skull Kid landed on another branch and turned to see that Tael was gaining on him.

 _'Aw nuts! He's on to me! Well, time to ditch the magic!'_ Skull Kid decided to be tangible again and hopped off the branch.

"Aha! I got ya, Skull Kid!" Tael exclaimed once more.

"Haha! We'll see about that!" Skull Kid said as he surprisingly lands safely on the ground. He made a mad dash to where the 'hide and seek' checkpoint is, a single tree stump.

"Oh no you don't!" Tael said as he flew full speed ahead towards Skull Kid.

Tael raced to get Skull Kid, while Skull Kid raced to get to the checkpoint. Tael was determined to get to the Imp as best as he can, while Skull Kid was halfway to the checkpoint.

"Almost...got him!" Tael said with gritted teeth as he flew at his top speed, his wings straining to keep fluttering at a fast pace. He can almost touch the Imp, and Skull Kid was almost at the tree stump...

Tael grabbed the back of his shirt!

"Gotcha!" he shouted.

"ACK!" Skull Kid yelped at the feeling of something tugging on his shirt.

"Yahooooo! I won!" Tael exclaimed as he celebrated, bobbing up and down as he hovered in place.

Skull Kid giggled in a childish raspy tone at the boy fairy. "Yeah, it looks like you did!"

"Way to go, Tael!" Tatl cheered as she flew to where they were.

"Thanks!" Tael said with a happy smile. "How's that for a Fairy Sense?"

Tatl chuckled, "Even though you don't have it yet, you can still always count on your instinctual feelings. Sometimes they help you more than you even know!"

Tael turned to his sister with a grateful smile. "Thanks, Sis!"

"No problem!" Tatl beamed and gave her little brother a hug.

"Aw, come on, Sis! Not in front of Skull Kid!" Tael whined.

Skull Kid giggled again, "Keep working on it, Tael, I bet you can be as good as your sister someday!"

"You really think so?" Tael asked while he was still in Tatl's grasp.

"Whoa, let's not get too ahead of ourselves here," Tatl told them as she let go of Tael.

Tael rolled his eyes. "Sheesh, someone really _does_ think highly of herself."

"Hey, I'm just saying. I know practically every animal, monsters, and species from the Fairy Hollow back home! The Great Fairy taught us everything, you know?"

"Which means I've learned stuff too!" Tael countered.

"You have, but you don't have Fairy Sense," Tatl replies.

"You know, I'm beginning to think Fairy Sense isn't really all that important," Tael mumbled.

Skull Kid chuckled, "Well, either way, how about I find you guys now?"

Tael turned to Skull Kid and replied enthusiastically, "Sure!" he turned to Tatl, "What do you say, Sis?"

"Okay, okay, we'll play one more game," Tatl said with a smile. She turns to Skull Kid, however, with a sly grin, "Just don't forget your little music _date_ with that Kokiri girl!"

Skull Kid blinks as he blushed, looking down as he shuffled his feet, "It's not a date, it's just a music practice. And I won't forget..."

Tael giggled at his Imp friend's sudden bashfulness, "Alright! In that case, see if you can find us, Skull Kid!" he said as he and his sister hide off somewhere in the forest.

Skull Kid watches them go off with a smile. _'It's really good we found each other in the rain a week ago...I'm really happy to have more friends.'_

And with that, Skull Kid sat on the tree stump and counted down to thirty to play one more game of 'hide and seek'.

* * *

Saria lay on her bed, thinking about the past events...

It had been four days since Link left the forest...and since their Father, the Great Deku Tree, had died.

She remembered Link's words to her as she laid there, a palm-sized gem in her hands and on her stomach while she held it. Link had left it behind for her. It's a green jewel, wrapped in a gold frame, shone in the daylight from her window.

The ancient Kokiri's Emerald. The Great Deku Tree's most prized possession.

She'd heard of it before from their Father. It was a sacred gem that resided below the very roots of the Tree, made through magical means. Most thought it was a myth, even Saria...until Link had supposedly come out of their father's meadow carrying the jewel in the early morning, as it neared the middle of the fifth hour.

He'd gone straight to her home in a rush, woken her up from her sleep, looking...determined, and telling her to hold onto it as he went off. Rightfully shocked and confused, she'd asked him a multitude of questions. Why did he have a beautiful emerald in his possession? What happened to the Great Deku Tree when he left the meadow? Where was he going?

Link told her what the gem was, and he also told her...that the Great Deku Tree was dead.

Saria hadn't been able to believe her ears on both accounts.

Link, however, didn't answer the third question right off. All he'd said was that he was going to stop an evil man who poisoned and cursed the Great Deku Tree with a toxic Forest Gohma. Horrified by this, Saria asked why this man would do such a thing, as well as who it could be that killed their Father. Link told her it was because He wouldn't give this man the emerald, which He gave to Link once the boy killed the curse. As for who it was that did this crime...

He just said it was 'Ganondorf' with such contempt.

Saria didn't know who Ganondorf was, but Link's expression had shown a true, simple hatred for this man...one that she has never seen before on his face. He was always a carefree and happy boy, but at that moment, she felt some sort of strange...presence that he was emitting. He looked...wiser, mature, even more serious.

This...was a new Link. Not the Link that she knew of. Not the Link that likes to smile and laugh, be friends with everyone in the village, even tries to be friends with Mido.

This Link...acted like a grown-up...a man.

Ever since Link came to the village when he was five and grew into a young boy of twelve, she always felt something was special in him. Saria was older than Link, although she doesn't look like it, as she looked twelve herself. She basically has been living in Kokiri Village for over forty years now and knows Link like the back of her hand. She was the first person whom he met and friended, watching over him like an older sister.

So when Link came to her home saying all these things with such an affirmed tone, as well as emanating a sense of maturity, she almost thought that this Link was an imposter. But when he grabbed her shoulders and lets her look into his eyes...she confirmed that this was the Link she knows. But what he said next had completely surprised her.

He knows that he's a Hylian.

She was clearly shocked. She tried to hide it, but Link also said that the Great Deku Tree told him before He died and that she knows as well.

Her head was reeling at the point. She did know that Link wasn't a Kokiri for a time, as the Great Deku Tree told her in private when Link first came to the village. The Tree told her this information as He entrusted her to watch over him from the other Kokiri who might suspect something was amiss about him. Thankfully, almost everyone, including her, loved Link, all except for Mido and his gang.

But he also said something else that stunned her.

He said he was leaving the village and the Kokiri Forest to go to Hyrule Castle to stop this man named Ganondorf. Saria had so many questions on what was going on, but Link said that he didn't have any time left and told her to keep the Emerald safe in her abode, not telling anyone that she has it.

That was when he told her goodbye, giving her a warm embrace as well as a kiss on the cheek. When that happened, Saria stood there frozen in a shocked daze.

And then...he left. He left with a shining green emerald in her hands.

When he did leave, Saria checked on their Father to see if it was true...and it was. The Tree stood there, lifeless, without a reply.

She should be skeptical. She should have her doubts. She should even put the pieces together and think Link did it...

But she didn't.

She didn't for two reasons. First, and more importantly, she _knows_ and _trusts_ Link. She knew him for too long to think he was capable of doing something like killing the Great Deku Tree. Secondly, his demeanor when he came to her house showed something that Link rarely expresses... _courage_.

She remembered Link demonstrating that courage when he was just eleven years old.

A year ago, their village was under attack by a hungry stray Wolfos. Link and the rest of the Kokiri boys - including the "Boss" of the Kokiri, Mido – were set out to fight the dangerous animal, as they were taught by the Know-It-All Brothers on how to fight and hunt. At that time, Link wasn't very successful when it came to hunting and combat, mostly because he didn't want to kill anything or anyone, but his survival training was quite good for novice standards. Link did learn the basics of hand-to-hand combat, though, but never used a weapon on a person or an animal. However, his fighting skills were put to the test that day when that Wolfos attacked.

Thankfully, none of the boys took too much damage, although when it focused on Mido, the boy stood frozen in place with fear. The Wolfos had looked like it was about to pounce at him, but all of a sudden, Link came to the rescue just in time. He tackled the Wolfos and wrestled with it, showing an unknown display of courage. It was no doubt that he was scared at the time, but if there was one thing that Link showed across the years, it was an undying loyalty to protect his home and brethren. It was then the Wolfos took a bite on his right shoulder, leaving a nasty mark on it. Saria can remember the screams he emitted. It had been a horrifying sound, and she ran to check who was screaming, as she seems to recognize the voice instantly. When she reached the scene, she tried to intervene in the fight, but it was then Link, with his Kokiri Sword, stabbed the Wolfos in the neck with his knife. He used his left hand to stab the animal, him being left-handed, which was an interesting trait for him, not only in Kokiri standards but to anyone in general. He kept repeatedly stabbing the Wolfos until it died...and that was when he killed his very first animal.

When the realization came to him that he did, in fact, killed something, it made him...mostly horrified, and sick to his stomach. He sat there, staring at the corpse in shock, even as the Kokiri doctor came to inspect his wound. Saria can instantly see Link was traumatized, and he needed to recuperate. She dashed over there to take him to the doctor's home to recover. Most of the Kokiri, including Saria, had been there by his side. Even Mido was there, who stood silent. Once Link recovered, both physically and mentally, he was hailed as a hero. Saria was certainly proud of him, although she wished nothing like that would ever happen to Link again. She also liked to think that Link gained Mido's respect that day.

However, thanks to his pride, Mido never properly thanked him; he had just him scolded him for hogging the spotlight, claiming he could've gotten the Wolfos with his bare hands. Saria had been immensely upset about that, but Link's response was...just a smile. He'd said to Mido that he was just glad that he was okay, which honestly shocked the "Boss".

It was then Saria knew that her friend really was a man...a Hylian man in a boy's body.

So when she saw that same courage in his demeanor, in his _eyes,_ she knew for a fact that he did try to save their Father...and that he was going to bring justice to this man who cursed the Tree.

However, as news of the Great Deku Tree's death and Link's departure spread to the village, everyone has been starting an uproar of accusing Link as the culprit, and who else that started these accusations would be none other than Mido. He instantly blamed Link, saying that he saw him go in the meadow last when the Great Deku Tree summoned him. The others were shocked to hear this and started to believe Mido's claims, but Saria rejected it, as well as her fairy, Lola, who had been there in Saria's home when Link came over there.

They all held an emergency meeting deciding what to do with Link if he ever came back to their village, or if they should hold a search party for him. Of course, Mido was unfairly the judge, since it was held in _his_ home. Saria argued with Mido over Link, the Kokiri girl telling him off and saying that her good friend Link wasn't a criminal.

Saria scowled as she remembered Mido saying such outlandish things...her expression softened though as she also recalled the meeting three days ago clearly when all the Kokiri were in Mido's home...

* * *

 _"Why are you so persistent in defending him!?" Mido exclaimed._

 _"Because he wasn't the one who killed the Great Deku Tree!" Saria replied._

 _The Kokiri sat in Mido's home, his being the largest to hold all the village's residents. Their fairies also sat alongside their partners; however, Saria and Mido's fairies, each respectively named Lola and Ginx, sat next to each other on the floor watching their partners argue. Everyone listened intently to what was happening, the feeling of anxiousness creeping in the home. Saria's good friend, Fado, sat on the floor nervously wringing the hem of her skirt._

 _"Didn't do anything wrong!?" Mido cried. "How can you say that!? He came out of the meadow right after He died!"_

 _"He could have been stopping something from hurting the Great Deku Tree!" Saria tried to reason. "Have you even looked at what was inside of Him!?"_

 _Mido looked appalled. "No! I can't do that! None of the Kokiri can - He's too sacred!"_

 _"Well, our Father wouldn't let anyone enter inside Him unless He really, truly trusted that person to help Him!" Saria proclaimed._

 _Mido looked insulted by that. "The Great Deku Tree trusting Link to help Him? With what!? I block the entrance to the meadow! And why would He trust Link? He's too different to be trusted by Father!"_

 _"Too different? Why would that be a problem!?" Saria exclaimed in frustration, "We're all different, even you, Mido. Just because he never had a fairy until now doesn't mean we should treat him any different! And as for what Link was trying to save our Father from, it was a curse cast by an evil man named Ganondorf from outside of the forest!"_

 _The Kokiri and Fairies all gasped and murmured to each other. Fado kept quiet as she listened._

 _Mido crossed his arms with a disbelieving look. "An evil man named Ga-non-dorf? How would you know this?"_

 _"Because Link came to my house this morning," Saria said._

 _Everyone gasped again, loudly this time, while Mido was greatly surprised. "What!?"_

 _"Yes, and this Ganondorf wanted the Kokiri Emerald, our Father's prized possession, all to himself!" she continued._

 _Shaking his head to clear out his shock, Mido said, "Saria, wh-what...why didn't you tell us that Link was in your home before he left the village!?"_

 _"I am now! And before you say anything, Link would never lie to me. He's too close of a friend to me to do so."_

 _Mido looked a little annoyed by this but kept going with his assumptions. "But Saria, what if he is lying? And...and what exactly was Link doing at your house!?"_

 _Saria scowled. "First of all, he's not lying. Secondly, he came to my home to tell me that the Great Deku Tree was dead and that he was going to stop this man named Ganondorf. He also said he..." she looked down and frowned, "...he said he won't be back."_

 _The children this time gasped loudly in shock. The Kokiri all looked at each other, wondering what that meant._

 _Mido blinked, "Wha...what do you mean he's going to stop this man? And...and what do you mean he's not coming back?" Mido asked in confusion._

 _Saria lifted her gaze up and said resolutely, "Link left the forest to stop this man...he's probably gone by now."_

 _Mido's mouth hung slightly open as he blinked again in astonishment. "He...left the forest?"_

 _"Yes..." Saria looked at the 'Boss of the Kokiri' in genuine curiosity, "Why are you surprised?"_

 _"I..." the boy stood there, letting it all sink in, "I just...really didn't think he would...do that."_

 _Saria stared at him for a moment, almost as if she was considering Mido's statement...her_ _lips then have a ghost of a smile. "You always thought he was Kokiri, didn't you, Mido?"_

 _The rest of the Kokiri, as well as the fairies, turned to Mido to see his reaction._

 _He looked up at Saria in surprise. "What? I mean..." he shook his head, "Listen, him leaving the forest is only proof that he's guilty of something! I mean, why would he even exit the forest if he knows what the consequences of that could be!?"_

 _The green-haired girl shook her head. "He's_ not _guilty, Mido. I know with all my heart that Link would never betray us. He's a very brave and good boy, whether you won't admit it or not. And if he says someone killed our Great Deku Tree, then I believe him."_

 _Mido frowned, not saying anything for a second, until he said, "How can you put so much faith in him?"_

 _Saria stared at him straight in the eye and said, "Because he's more Kokiri than all of us."_

 _Everyone was silent in the home..._

 _She then added, "Mido, I know you didn't want to, but...you were really grateful that day that Link saved you from that Wolfos...you wanted to thank him."_

 _Mido was silent._

 _"You respect him more than you know..." Saria said with a firm stare._

 _The whole house went quiet again, with some of the Kokiri and Fairies glancing at each other seeing this play out._

 _Saria then lips then formed a sad frown. "You really don't want Link to actually be responsible for all of this, do you?"_

 _The Boss of the Kokiri stood there for a while. Crossing his arms, he stared at the ground, having a conflicted look, "...I'm only going by what I know."_

 _Once again, everyone was quiet in Mido's home..._

 _It was until then one of the Know-It-All Brothers, the oldest one named Groose, got up from the floor and said, "You know what? I don't think Link killed our Father."_

 _Mido and Saria, as well as the other Kokiri and Fairies, turned to him._

 _"From all the times I taught him, Link never once complained. He was eager to learn from me and my brothers. And I always thought he was a tough guy. He can deliver a good punch from the times I tested him." Groose chuckled._

 _"Yeah," the middle brother named Fledge said as he rose up. "And he hated to kill an animal. I gave him a little pep talk about it, and...he understood what had to be done. And if it wasn't for Link, that Wolfos would've eaten you, Mido. He killed that Wolfos to protect us. He has the honor of a Kokiri."_

 _The last and youngest brother, Pipit, got up. "Yeah! Link may have been soft at times, but he certainly has the spirit of a Kokiri! He's a brave individual, with enough courage to protect all of us!"_

 _One other Kokiri boy rose up, "I don't believe Link is responsible for the Great Deku Tree's death!"_

 _"I don't think he did it as well!" said a Kokiri girl who stood up also._

 _"Me neither!" said Fado as she stood up, her face showing unwavering confidence. "And even if...even if he was trying to stop this curse that this evil man had cast upon Father, at least he tried!"_

 _"Yeah! At least he tried!" said a Kokiri boy._

 _"Link is the most kind-hearted person there is!" a Kokiri girl said._

 _"He would do anything for us! He's a true Kokiri" said another Kokiri._

 _"Yeah! And I think it's admirable for Link to go out of the forest to bring this Ganon...Ganon-dorf to justice!" and another Kokiri._

 _"Link is innocent!" and another._

 _Soon, all the Kokiri stood up to give their following statements, with all of them basically being on Saria's side. Saria grinned at all of her fellow Kokiri that stood up for Link, happy to know that she wasn't alone on this. She turned to her friend Fado, which the blonde-haired girl nodded back at her with a smile._

 _Mido, feeling overwhelmed from all the interjections from the Kokiri, exclaimed out loud, "Everyone_ quiet!"

 _All the children's voices have died down into silence once more._

 _Mido sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose,_ _"...Look, even if...Link_ is _innocent, it still won't bring our Father back. And Link is the only person that was near the Great Deku Tree at that time. I can only speculate from there."_

 _Saria frowned. "I know...but Link_ didn't _do this, I promise you."_

 _He grunted, "Just...how can you so sure?"_

 _Staying silent for a moment, she began to say, "It's just...the look in his eyes...they speak a truth that says he wants to bring justice to this man, this Ganondorf."_

 _Mido stood there with his hands on his hips, his usual thinking pose, as he looked at the ground in thought._

 _"Mido...please believe me." Saria urged._

 _Shaking his head, he said, "It's not..." he sighed, "It's not that I..."_

 _"Look, you and Link may have your differences, but I know you don't truly hate him."_

 _The freckled boy looked up at her in surprise. "What? No, I...I don't_ hate _him, I...I just..."_

 _"I like to think Link had your respect when he protected you from that Wolfos..." Saria smiled sympathetically. "And I get the feeling that he_ did _earn your_ _respect either way,"_

 _Mido blinked, "What?"_

 _"Mido, don't let your pride get in the way. Remember what our Father said about pride?"_

 _His eyes widened. He remained silent as he glanced at the floor, looking practically ashamed._

 _Saria continued. "He said 'Absolute pride is only the beginning of true destruction..."_

 _"...of one's self..." Mido finished with a mutter._

 _Even more uneasy silence filled the room..._

 _Closing his eyes as he took a breath and exhaled, Mido said, "Saria..." he looked up at her, "Okay, look, I...I don't hate Link, alright? I mean, of course not, especially not after...you know, that day. I am thankful he saved me from that Wolfos. I do have respect for the guy...I just..." his eyes looked at the ground once more and frowned in a sorrowful way._

 _The green-haired girl looked at him in concern._

 _Mido was quiet...he looked up, "Okay...I'll...believe your claim, for_ now _."_

 _Saria blinked in surprise._

 _"I mean since everyone thinks Link wouldn't do such a thing, then..." he mutters, "Who am I to judge?"_

 _Saria stood there, quite stunned. Her lips then turned upwards as she smiled in appreciation, "Thank you Mido."_

 _"Hold on a second," Mido said with a raised hand, "Just because everyone thinks Link didn't do it, still doesn't mean we know who's responsible. The only person who knows who did it was Link, but right now...he's gone." for a moment he looked crestfallen. He shook his head bit, "If Link is somehow still here, I want an answer from him, and him alone."_

 _Saria nodded. "I understand."_

 _Mido nodded as well. "Until then...we mourn for the Great Deku Tree...our Father."_

 _Every Kokiri and Fairy in the room now felt the gloom crept back in as they went back to the reality of the situation._

 _The Great Deku Tree, their Deity, their Father...is no longer with them._

* * *

After the meeting had been adjourned, the Kokiri had prepared an evening service for the Great Deku Tree. Many emotions were shown and tears were shed. Even Mido struggled to keep it together. Saria can feel such great sadness in the village, and she couldn't deny that it reached to her as well. They had all truly loved their Father. She couldn't have been able to hold her tears much longer as well.

Mido did the service and, amazingly enough, he didn't try to mention Link, for which Saria was absolutely relieved and grateful. He actually gave a touching and moving speech about the Great Deku Tree, as well as telling everyone to stay strong and that they should move on in His memory.

The evening ended with all the Kokiri giving the deceased Tree bright and colorful flowers from one of the Fairy Hollows, placing them at the base of His trunk in respect.

The next day had passed. It was all really so bizarre to them. Just as Mido told them to do, they moved on with their lives, carrying out the Great Deku Tree's memory...but it felt odd and out of place. Now the newborns and younger Kokiri couldn't go to their father to listen to any stories, the older Kokiri couldn't go to someone for life advice, even Mido couldn't ask for his wisdom on what he should do. No one could even visit him anymore. It all felt so...wrong.

Yet, when it came right down to it, they _had_ to move on. No one knew why it had to happen this way. It just did...

Saria remembered the Great Deku Tree saying something profound to everyone when one of their own had died of an illness during the wintertime.

 _"Life can throw dangerous obstacles in each of our directions. We art not prepared for it...but we must learn to have peace of mind, understanding, and acceptance."_

Staring up at the ceiling of her home, Saria thought about Link...how he was being thrown into dangerous obstacles right now...

Three days have passed and Link hasn't returned...which was starting to worry her.

Saria frowned. She was mostly worried about two things: Link's safety, and protecting his name. A huge amount of time has passed, and she was afraid the children would lose their confidence in her claim that Link wasn't the one who killed the Great Deku Tree. There were some who still believed her, but there were some who were starting to doubt...

Mido though was silent as the days passed. He never uttered a word about Link being a suspect, which she was really grateful, whether it was just to not upset Saria, or if he truly believed her...

She wished it was the second thing.

She hopes he wasn't hurt...wherever he may be.

 _'I wonder if Link is okay?'_ she mused as she fiddled with the Kokiri's Emerald in her hands on her stomach.

"You know, you __really_ _shouldn't let that be out in the open," her fairy, Lola said, sitting on the nightstand next to her bed.

Saria snapped out of her daze and sat up with the Emerald on her lap. She looked at her companion and frowned. "I know, Lola... I just..."

Lola rolled her eyes, but her expression softened. "Look, Saria...I know you've gone through a lot, but...I don't want you to dwell too much on this. It's been four days now."

The green-haired girl sighed. "I know..." She looked down at the Emerald on her lap. "It's just...I just miss him. I mean, who knows where he's at right now?"

"Hmm...he said he was going to this Hyrule Castle, so...maybe it's just far away?" Lola speculated.

Saria hummed thoughtfully.

"Look, if he did slay this Gohma curse or whatever, I'm pretty sure he can slay any other monster out there!" Lola reasoned.

Saria still looked a little unsure. Link was the most kind-hearted and peaceful person she ever knew, and she still wants to remember that side of him. However, ever since he killed that Wolfos, it took a toll on his innocence. It scarred him both mentally and physically, thanks to the bite mark on his shoulder.

"Come on, Saria...you do believe in him, don't you?" Lola asked her in curiosity.

She looked up at her fairy, "Of course I do."

"Well, just to let you know, I think he's telling the truth too. Mostly because I think there was something on Link that I think you should know."

Saria blinked, "What do you mean?"

"Well, since I'm a fairy, I can see in the dark because of my natural light. What I saw that you didn't see during that time, was, I _think_ , bloodstains."

Shocked, Saria exclaimed, "Bloodstains!?"

"Yeah, but they're not from Kokiri or from any type of man."

"They're...not?" she asked confused.

"No. I think they're from...I think from an insectoid or something like it."

"Really?"

Lola nodded, "Yeah, I think so. Usually, insectoid creatures have purple looking blood, so it wasn't red or anything. I saw stains on Link's tunic and once I got some more light on it, the color of the stains was a purple color."

Saria's eyes widened. "Lola, why didn't you tell me about this?"

"Hey, I wasn't sure at the time! Besides, it was kind of dark, so I may have been seeing things."

The Kokiri girl scowled. "Well thank you for telling me _now_!"

"Hey, just by believing in Link's story was proof enough for you that you really do trust him."

Saria's scowl softened as her thoughts went back to the topic at hand in her mind. "Yeah...I do trust him..."

Lola smiled. "You really like him, don't you?"

Saria looked at her fairy with a blink. "Uh...yeah?"

Rolling her eyes, Lola clarified, "I meant you _really_ like him."

The girl still looked confused, until it finally clicked, her eyes widened once more. "Huh? W-Wait, I-I don't really...I mean-"

"Oh, come on! You froze in place when he gave you that kiss on the cheek!" Lola teased.

Her face blushed a deep red, "W-Well...it was unexpected..."

"But you _liked_ it, didn't you?" Lola smirked.

Saria's face became even redder. "L-Look, Link is just a good friend. I mean, I practically looked over him!"

"But you did _love_ how mature he's gotten, right, when you quote-unquote, 'looked into his eyes'?"

"Lola, we're just friends, okay?" Saria says abruptly, her face still red.

"Your face is still blushing."

"Lola!"

The Fairy giggled. "Alright, alright, sorry! I guess you like Skull Kid a little better, huh?"

Saria scowled. "Lola, for goodness sakes, if you don't-" she blinked, "Oh my gosh! I almost forgot! Skull Kid!"

Lola blinked. "Huh?" she then remembered, "Oh! Is it already the middle of the week?"

"Yes! Oh gosh, I need to meet up with him!" Saria got up with the Emerald in her hands. When she was about to reach the door, she remembered the gem that she has in her possession and grimaced. She then turned to her nightstand that was next to her bed, opened a drawer, and placed the Emerald in it.

"Whoa, good thing you remembered," Lola said with a wince.

"Yeah..." Saria says as she closed the drawer. "I don't want anybody to get the wrong idea."

Raising a brow, Lola asked, "What idea would that be?"

The Kokiri looked at her oddly. "Well, you know, I didn't want the others to think that Link stole it."

"Oh well, yeah, that," Lola shrugged, "I just thought you meant you don't want anyone to know that Link basically gave you a nice shining present to you."

"...You will not let this go, will you?"

The Fairy smirked once more, "You like him, and you know it."

"Ugh, I don't have time for this! I got to meet up with Skull Kid!" Saria said as she made her way to the door.

"Hey, don't forget your stuff!" Lola called out.

As soon Saria stopped at the door, she groaned, "Of course!" she went to her drawer situated in her one-room treehouse and got her leather utility belt out, wrapping it around her waist. Once she puts it on, she finds her things that she brings with her to her weekly visits with Skull Kid and attached them to her belt; her wooden ocarina, her carving knife, her boomerang, and her slingshot, just in case she had to defend herself against the wildlife in the forest.

As soon as she buckled her belt and was almost about to open the door, she paused.

"Hm? What's wrong?" Lola asked, floating next to her head.

"...I'm not gonna risk it." Saria then went back to her nightstand and opened her drawer to get the Emerald out.

"Hey, what are you doing?" her Fairy asked in confusion.

Saria puts the gem in one of the pouches of her belt. "You never know. Someone might come in and discover it, so I'm bringing it with me," she said.

"Whoa...are you sure about that?"

"I just...don't feel like it's safe here right now."

"What about those other times?"

"We were coping with Father's death, and we're starting to get back into our routine..." Saria sighed, "I don't want to keep a secret from the other Kokiri, especially from Fado and Mido...but Link told me to hide it, and I am going to hide it from any seeing eyes."

Lola crossed her arms and tilted her head in question. She finally shrugged, "Okay. Just keep it well-hidden."

"I will," Saria nodded as she closed the pouch up, securing it. "Come on, Lola! We got to meet up with Skull Kid!"

"Man, you're really keeping your promise to him, aren't ya?"

"Of course. I'm his first friend here, so I'm not gonna just abandon him." the Kokiri girl says as she opened her door.

"Heh, keep this up, and he'll think you like him." Lola teased her.

"Oh, would you just be quiet about who I like, Lola?"

"Then who DO you like?"

 _"Lola_!"

The Fairy laughed as they made their way out of her home.

Saria pouted at her until her lips formed into a mischievous smirk. "Okay then, what about Tael?"

Lola blinked, "Say what?"

"When we met Tatl and Tael last week, Tael made the obvious indication that he liked _you_ a lot!"

"Oh...w-well, s-so?" Lola said with a nervous shrug

Saria giggled, "You love the attention, admit it!"

"Hey, come on, he's younger than me!" Lola protested.

"That never stopped you from making assumptions about me and Link!"

"Well, that's only because you _do_ have a thing for him!"

"We're _just_ friends! And you're sixteen! I heard he was thirteen, so it's not that big of an age difference!"

"Okay, let's just forget it for now and go to your other boyfriend."

"Darn it, Lola!" Saria exclaimed as she stuck her tongue out.

Lola snickered, while Saria couldn't help but laugh at the banter they were having. They left the village and ventured off into the forest to go to Saria's and Skull Kid's meeting place deep in the Lost Woods.

For the past three days, the Kokiri have dealt with the Great Deku Tree's death and have moved forward...it made Saria think another saying that their Father had told them multiple times:

 _"To live strong each day, will surely give a more pleasant tomorrow."_

Somewhere, Link is living strongly...and Saria hopes his tomorrows will be bright.

 _'In the meantime Link...I hope to see you again.'_ she thought with a smile on her face as she made her way further into the woods, her fairy by her side.

* * *

 ** **End of Act 1: Chapter 3****

* * *

 ** **Yep! Did a lot of changes to this one! X) So what do you all think of it now? As per usual, I took creative liberties with this adaptation as I expanded on the characters and lore and whatnot! I hope you like them, as well as the other creative changes that I'll be making throughout the story! ;D****

 ** **Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed it! Please do give me a review, follow, and a fave! I would really appreciate any support you'd give me! :D****

 ** **Keep on rocking everyone! ^_^****

 ** **-TSP****


	4. ACT 1 - 4: The Calling

**[EDIT: 4/5/2020] Edited some stuff. :P**

* * *

"That still wasn't fair, Skull Kid!" Tael whined with a funny little pout.

"Hey, I need to find the two of you, so I sent another copy," Skull Kid reasoned as he walked back to the stump, his fairy friends flying next to him.

"Well, I have to agree with Tael," Tatl said with a frown, "It would be nice if you'd told us that little bit of info. You didn't tell us you could also send copies of yourselves along with your other tricks!"

"Well...sorry," Skull Kid said a little sheepishly, "I was gonna tell you that sooner or later. It was just getting kind of long, and I have to finish up the game so we can meet up with Saria."

Tatl blinked at him and then started to smirk, "Oooh, so you cheated because _you_ wanted to see _Saria_."

"Hey, I didn't cheat!" defended Skull Kid. He froze and blushed as he realized what she said, "A-And...well, it was getting that time...a-and you guys liked her and her Fairy friend as well!"

"Well, yes, we did. And I think Tael like Saria's Fairy friend Lola a lot more-"

"Hey, no I don't! I mean...she was pretty, but..." Tael's statement died off there.

Tatl snickered and continued saying to Skull Kid, _"But,_ you're the one who's been going to these little get-togethers in the middle of the week, so that says something."

Skull Kid reached the stump and sat on it, "Well...she was the only one that was really nice to me when I came here..." the Imp sat there in silence, as he seemed to recall something, his eyes looking downcast.

Tael noticed this and frowned, "Skull Kid?"

Tatl looked at her friend in curiosity, wondering why he had that expression on his face.

Skull Kid was still silent for a moment, but soon he spoke, "Did I ever tell you guys about my home?"

The Fairies both blinked at the question. They glanced at each other in a query and back at Skull Kid, with Tatl saying, "Uh...no, actually. We just found you in a fallen hollowed-out tree trunk while it was raining. You said you're from a faraway land, right? That you were sent away by some mean people?"

"...Yeah..." Skull Kid softly replied, slumping a bit.

Tael noticed his friend's posture and decided to ask him, "Do you miss your home?"

Skull Kid turned his gaze to Tael, his face looking neutral, not showing as much emotion from that question. "...At times," he said looking away from him.

"Well...do you ever want to go back there?" Tael asked innocently.

Skull Kid looked at the ground, "...I don't know."

"You don't know? You mean because of the people that sent you away?" Tatl asked.

Skull Kid shifted in his seat on the stump. "...Yeah, kind of. But...it's just that...even now, I don't know if they'll ever let me come back."

"The people that were mean to you?" Tael asked in curiosity.

"Hey, um..." Skull Kid suddenly spoke out, "While we, uh...while we wait, do you want to hear a joke I just thought up?"

Tatl and Tael, taken aback by the change of topic, looked at each other. Tatl just shrugged, while Tael looked hesitant. However, he did like Skull Kid's jokes. Also, for whatever reason, it may have been a touchy subject for Skull Kid. Tael decided to drop the topic as he smiled and said, "Okay! Sure!"

Skull Kid gave him an appreciative smile and told his joke to the Fairies, "Okay, what do you get when you have a constipated Dodongo?"

Tatl scrunched up her nose, "Ew."

Tael, on the other hand, giggled, "What?"

"Really, you just get one big Do-dung-do!"

The purple Fairy laughed his wings off. "Oh man! That was a good one!"

Rolling her eyes at the humor, Tatl said, "Yeah...crude, but somewhat creative."

A little while later, Skull Kid and the two Fairies waited a bit longer for Saria and her Fairy to come over to their meeting place. They chatted about everyday things, and soon, Skull Kid could hear rustling in the forest.

"Saria?" Skull Kid said hopefully.

"It's me!" called out the voice of a young girl.

"And me!" called out a tiny female voice.

"Lola?" Tael said hopefully as well.

"Yep! All two of us!" the wild bushes rustled and out came Saria and Lola.

"Hey girls!" Tatl greeted them.

"Hey, Tatl!" Saira greeted as well.

"Hey! A-And hey Lola!" Tael said and stuttered when he spoke to Lola.

"Hey, guys!" Lola said with a smile.

"Uh, hey Saria..." Skull Kid said with a smile as well.

Saria smiled also, "Hey Skull Kid!"

"Okay, enough of the 'hey's, we're happy to see each other," Tatl said in good humor, causing everyone to laugh.

"Sorry I'm a little late," explained Saria, "I almost forgot, what with things being kind of..." her expression wavered as she's been reminded of the Great Deku Tree, "...hectic around the village."

"Hectic?" Skull Kid said in curiosity, "What happened?"

Saria lowered her head, her expression turning solemn, "...Our...Father passed..." she shook her head, "No...He was murdered about four days ago."

Skull Kid, Tatl, and Tael looked rightfully shocked.

"What? R...Really?" Tatl asked in surprise.

Lola nodded somberly, "Yeah..."

"Whoa..." Tael said stunned, "How...How did he die? I mean, w-who would've murdered Him? Why would anyone do that even?"

"He was poisoned by a parasitic beast...and it was someone who had evil intentions we presumed..." Saria's face was emotionless when she thinking about past events, but everyone can see the sadness in her eyes, "...It happened all so sudden too..."

Skull Kid frowned when he saw Saria so crestfallen. He heard of the Great Deku Tree and how he was an influential figure in the woods, more so to Saria. The Tree sounded like a good deity, and it's sad that he never got the chance to meet Him...of course, the Kokiri would have to adjust with the Imp coming over to their village since he did go through a phase of scaring the children when he came here in the forest about two and a half months ago.

He briefly recalled back when he was venturing through the forest while exploring the land of Hyrule. At that time, he saw a couple of Kokiri boys walking in the woods, and interested in meeting them, he surprised them by appearing and introducing himself, which the Kokiri were frightened by Skull Kid's rather ghastly appearance. They ran away from him, and when he tried to catch up with the boys, one of them used a slingshot on him.

That action alone made him feel unwanted...all over again.

Feeling hurt from the attack, he decided to get back at these Kokiri by doing his clone technique and scaring them into submission. He even disarmed their slingshots, which scared them even worse, making them run fast enough to escape Skull Kid's line of sight and trickery. He kept doing this for four days, even scaring the Boss of the Kokiri when he came over to find him so he could 'confront' him on his 'reign of terror'.

It didn't go really well for the Boss and his gang. From what he remembered, the Boss named Mido(he heard from the other two Koriki boys calling him by that name) screamed the loudest and was quite shrill.

Thinking he made his message clear by scaring the leader of the Kokiri off, he believed that his work was done...until shortly after that though, a Kokiri girl came over into the woods to try to confront him as well.

When she came up to him, he thought he had to once again scare another Kokiri...but there was something about her that seemed...different. She didn't seem to be afraid of his empty threats, and once he revealed himself to her, she...wasn't scared of how he looked. Although she was shocked when he suddenly appeared, she didn't run away...

It was then she started talking to him...like he was one of her own. It was a nice feeling, being accepted by another person, even if he looked different than most kids and people. Imps are not known to be pleasant to look at, but this Kokiri girl, Saria...didn't care how he looked. It made him feel good...

They talked for a bit, exchanging names, and shared their likes and dislikes. He told her bits of information about where he came from, which was a faraway land, and how he was sent here in Hyrule. He didn't say anything else after that since the topic was a sensitive subject for him, which thankfully, she accepted that answer. Upon seeing her wooden ocarina that she had with her, he asked if she knew how to play music, which she answered that she does. Along with his wooden flute, he and Saria played music together, hence their get-together now. Along with their music playing, they talk about their week and play games. And that was when Skull Kid realized...he just made a new friend that day.

Back to the present, seeing his friend's dejected expression made him feel like he should do something. He didn't want to see the sweet girl who had been so nice to him be so sad looking...

He went forward to Saria and placed a hand on her shoulder, which she looked up at him, startled by the gesture.

Skull Kid tried to think of something to say, but truth be told, he hasn't really comfort anyone with the topic of death before...he did remember a time though when someone...

Wincing at the memory, he pushed it back in his mind and said to Saria, "I...w-we...we're really sorry to hear that about...your Father."

 _"DADDY!"_

Skull Kid's eyes widened slightly at the sudden memory he had in his mind. The scream of a horrified woman...

"It's alright," The Kokiri girl said, snapping him back to his thoughts. He looked at the girl, who was smiling at him warmly, "We just have to live on in His memory."

The Imp said nothing, only frowning and nodding at what she said.

Saria wiped the forming tears that were in her eyes. "So...enough of this despair..." she smiled a little brightly, "How about we start our music lesson?"

"Um...are you sure?" Skull Kid asked awkwardly.

She nodded, "Of course! I'm keeping my promise to you for visiting you every week. This is basically the eleventh week, and you've seemed to be a really fun and nice person. After all, I think you need to have a friend after what some of these people did to you."

Skull Kid smiled at her words, "Well, okay...thanks, Saria."

"No problem," she said with a sweet grin, "Now, how about we start our music practice? Did you practice my song on your flute?"

His smile turned bigger, "Sure did! I think I can do it pretty well now!"

And with that, their playdate commenced...

* * *

It was late afternoon, and Skull Kid and Saria were playing a new song they were orchestrating, with Skull Kid playing the fast notes, while Saria was playing the slow notes. The Fairies were sitting on the tree trunk, watching them correspond with each other as they kept playing in rhythm.

They kept playing the notes until it reached the improvised climax, with Skull Kid going rapid with his flute playing and Saria dragging out her notes as she played her ocarina. The music sounds harmonic and was quite a catchy tune to it, letting the Fairies be in awe at how well they were mixing their tunes together. Once Skull Kid was finishing his part, Saria held onto the tune to let it fade out, thus concluding their song.

The Fairies all cheered at their astounding duet, Tatl blowing out whistles, Tael cheering out vocally, and Lola cheering and clapping for the two. Saria, shy from the praise, rubbed the back of her head with a sheepish smile, while Skull Kid was bowing like a showman.

"That was awesome!" Tael exclaimed with a grin.

"Very nice!" Tatl complimented with a smile.

"Way to go, guys!" Lola cheered.

Saria giggled, "Aw come on, I just did the slow notes. Skull Kid did all the faster notes. He's the expert."

"Are you kidding? You're the expert!" said Skull Kid to Saria, "You're the one who taught me your song. You can do those fast notes really well."

The Kokiri girl smiled at Skull Kid, "Well, you do a good job of keeping up with me! I think you don't give yourself too much credit."

Skull Kid blushed a bit, "Well...how about we say we're both equal in our talents?"

Saria giggled again, "Alright then, we'll agree on that."

The Fairies flew over to where they stood, as Tael said, "Man, you guys work really well together! You two may be the best music players in the whole forest!"

Smiling shyly at the praise, Saria said, "Oh, I don't know about that. The Kokiri back at the village knows how to play some instruments, especially..." her sentence died off as she hesitated.

Skull Kid blinked at her pause, "Especially who?"

Saria snapped out of her daze, "Um...y-you know, you should really come to our village."

The Imp blinked once more, "Come over...to your village?"

"Yeah!" Saria said, nodding as she smiled, "You can get to meet Fado, Groose, Pipit, Fledge, even Mido! I'm certain Mido isn't scared of you anymore."

"Um..." Skull Kid looked unsure, "I...I don't know..."

The Kokiri girl frowned, "Skull Kid, I've told them about you...Fado really wants to meet you, as well as the other Kokiri. And Mido may be hard to deal with at times, but he's certainly a good person."

"Well..." Skull Kid then noticed something in Saria's words, "Wait...what about that Link person you talk about at times?"

Eyes widened in surprise at the question, Saria looked down as her eyes turned desolate, "Oh..."

"Link? Who's Link?" Tatl asked.

"Um..." Lola looked a little anxious all of a sudden.

"Lola? What's wrong?" Tael asked her.

"Uh, nothing! It's just...well..." Lola tried to explain, but Saria interrupted her, "It's okay, Lola...I'll explain."

Skull Kid looked confused, "Explain what?"

Saria stood there, gathering her thoughts as she said, "Link..." she sighed, "...For Tatl and Tael, Link is my good friend. And...right now, he...he left the forest to find who murdered our Father."

Skull Kid once again looked shocked, while Tatl and Tael looked puzzled.

"He left the forest? But...the Kokiri can't leave the forest...can they?" Tael asked anyone.

"Well, Kokiri _can_ leave the forest...but they won't _look_ like a Kokiri," Tatl explained, "They'll turn into Koroks by then."

"Koroks?" Tael wondered out loud.

"Something about this forest having the energy to manifest who the Koroks really look like in human form." Tatl said with a shrug, "That sounds about right, does it, Lola?"

"Yeah, basically," Lola agreed.

Skull Kid then looked puzzled himself, "Wait...but...you said your Father was murdered four days ago...when did Link leave?"

"...About four days ago. Right after it happened," Saria confirmed solemnly.

"Oh..."

Saria looked up and began to say, "I know what you're thinking, but I _know_ he didn't murder our Father."

Skull Kid's eyes widened in a panic. "No! No, I was just...I mean..."

Sighing, Saria told him, "It's alright...it kind of does seem that would be the case, wouldn't it? ...But I _know_ him. Link is so honorable and kind, he wouldn't do anything like that. He loved our Father very much as well."

The Imp frowned. "I...I wasn't trying to accuse him."

Saria smiled at him. "I know...I just...I know he wasn't to blame. He was fighting a creature inside our Father."

Tatl and Tael looked at each other in a query and looked at Lola, who nodded and said, "It's true. He was fighting a Forest Gohma inside the Great Deku Tree."

"A Forest Gohma?" Tael said in shock, "Whoa! And he won?"

"Yeah. I can tell he had Gohma blood on his tunic." Lola confirmed.

"Wow...that's hardcore," Tatl said with a curious hand on her chin.

Skull Kid's frown deepened, feeling a little jealous toward this 'Link' kid. _'No, don't be jealous. You got to help Saria get through this!'_

"Well...either way, I'm...I'm really sorry to hear that," he said in sympathy.

Saria shook her head, "No, it's quite alright...I...I just hope he's okay," she said in worry.

The Imp looked at the girl with pity in his eyes. This Link must really be special to Saria...

It made him feel a little envious.

 _'She must really care about him...'_

Shaking his head to clear away the small jealousy in his mind, Skull Kid tried to console her, "Hey, don't worry...I mean..."

Saria smiled back at him, "Actually...you're right."

"Huh? I-I am?" Skull Kid said in surprise.

"Yeah...I shouldn't worry. I...I know for a fact that Link will be okay...he's strong...and he's very brave," she reassured herself.

"Wow, this Link fellow must be really something," Tatl said with a curious tilt of her head.

"He really is..." Saria blushed a tad bit.

Seeing her expression, Skull Kid felt awkward as he rubbed the back of his neck, not knowing what to say to all this talk about Link...

The green-haired Kokiri girl was silent for a moment until she said, "Can I trust you with something?"

"Huh?" Skull Kid snapped his attention back at her in confusion, "Trust me with what?"

"...I need to show you something, but...promise me you and Tatl and Tael won't tell anyone, not even to strangers," Saria said as she looked at him and the Fairies with resolve.

"Wait a minute, Saria, you're not really thinking-" Lola was about to say, until Saria interrupted, "Don't worry, Lola, it's okay. I...I actually need to get this off my chest. Besides, I think they can keep a secret, can you all?" Saria asked them all with hopeful eyes.

"Uh...yeah. We can keep a secret, right guys?" Skull Kid said to the Fairy siblings.

"Um, yeah, we promise," Tatl said, although she was confused.

"Yeah, absolutely," Tael said with a nod.

"Okay..." Saria then reached for a pouch on her belt and unsnapped it. She got something out...

Skull Kid, Tatl, and Tael all gasped.

"Whoa..." Tael said, mesmerized by the object that Saria got out.

"What is _that_?" asked Tatl, in awe of it.

"This is an Emerald...the Kokiri Emerald. The Great Deku Tree's most prized possession," Saria said as she held it up for them to see, the jewel glistening in what little sunlight that was coming in the forest. "This was given to Link by our Father...and Link gave this to me, to watch over..."

Skull Kid looked at the gem in amazement, "Wow..."

Saria continued, "I don't want others to know about it, because...I'm afraid they'll suspect him," she cringed, "And...I don't want them to lose faith in him...I'm telling you this not because you aren't Kokiri, but...my friend."

The Imp snapped out of his daze from the Emeraldblinked at the last thing she said to him. "A...friend?"

She looked at him with a determined look and nodded, "Yes..." she looked down at the Emerald, "...In fact...I don't think I can look over it forever..." she looked up at Skull Kid, "Would you...would you look over it?"

"What?" Lola said in shock.

"Huh? You...You want me to have it?" Skull Kid asked in surprise.

Saria stood there, pondering on what she just asked...and she gazed at the Imp with resolve. "Yes...it's for you to keep. We...We only see each other during the middle of the week...and this has been the eleventh week since then...I...I feel like I can trust you with it."

"You...You really trust me?" Skull Kid asked, feeling the heat on his cheeks.

The Kokiri girl nodded, "I do...here," she presented the palm-sized Emerald with both of her hands to him, "I entrust this to you."

Skull Kid gazed at the gem, speechless that she would offer something to him that has great value to her, "Uh...o...okay."

He slowly reached for the Emerald and took it from her hands. The green jewel did look beautiful as it radiates off of the sunlight, giving it a magnificent, almost ethereal glow.

"Woooow," Tael looked at it with wide eyes.

"It's almost...otherworldly," said Tatl as she gazed at it.

Skull Kid looked at the Kokiri Emerald in his hand and felt...a sense of gratitude within him.

"I..." Skull Kid slightly shook his head and said the next intended words to come out of his mouth, "Thank you...Saria."

Saria smiled warmly, "It's in your hands now. Keep good care of it."

The Imp glanced back at the Emerald, staring at it for a second before looking back up at Saria with determined eyes, "I will."

* * *

After they bid their goodbyes to each other, Skull Kid and Saria parted ways, the latter going back to her village, with Lola following her.

Which left Skull Kid and the Fairy siblings alone in the woods once more.

"Wow...today has been really something," Tael commented.

"You're telling me..." Tatl turned to the Imp, "You think you can keep an eye on it for Saria, Skull Kid?"

Skull Kid looked down at the glistening Emerald still in his hand. "...Yeah. I think I can..."

Tatl smiled at her friend's certainty. She then yawned as she stretched, "Well, I'm kind of tired from today."

"Yeah, me too," Tael yawned as well, "I'm ready to take a nap."

"Yeah...I am too," Skull Kid said as he held onto the Kokiri Emerald in his hand, "Well then, let's go back to our place!"

Agreeing on that, they traveled back to the giant hollowed out log, which was Skull Kid's home; the same one where they found each other that day while it rained. Skull Kid was jumping high up and onto the tree branches, while the Fairies were keeping up as they flew behind him. Five minutes later, they reached to Skull Kid's place and the Imp and Fairies went inside to settle in. The child-like creature leaned against the interior bark of the log and relaxed, while Tatl and Tael rest next to him. The Kokiri Emerald was laid on his lap with his hands on the jewel.

"Hm...you know, I wonder what this Link person is like? I heard a lot of good things about him..." Tatl murmured as she leaned onto Skull Kid's side.

"Yeah...I wonder if he actually did fight a Forest Gohma...?" Tael wondered as he was drifting off to sleep, his back against the Imp's side as well.

"Well...wherever he is...he makes Saria happy..." Skull Kid said as he looked thoughtful.

Even though he only heard of this Link every once in a while during the course of those eleven weeks, Saria spoke about him in such a way that pretty much tells him that she admired him. He doesn't know too much about him, but he sounds really brave. And if Saria said he didn't kill the Great Deku Tree, then Skull Kid believes that he didn't do it.

 _'I wish I could make Saria happy like this Link...'_

He frowned. Not saying anything else, he went drifted off to sleep, the Fairy siblings snoozing off at his sides as their glow dimmed, and the Kokiri Emerald on Skull Kid's lap...

* * *

...Time passed by.

It was the late afternoon, almost to the evening, when sounds slowly woke up Skull Kid.

"...Huh?" Skull Kid murmured as his shot awake, his sleepy eyes opening almost instantly.

Hearing the sounds as well, the Fairy siblings stirred out of their sleep, their glow becoming bright again as they awakened from their slumber.

Tael yawned while Tatl stretched, the latter saying, "What is that?"

The sounds continued...

They sounded like clattering. As soon as the Imp and the Fairies all woke up from their sleepy haze, Tatl and Tael hovered off the ground, while Skull Kid got up from his resting spot.

The clattering kept going.

"What's making that sound?" Tael said quietly.

Tatl went close to her brother, "I don't know...I sensed its presence, but I don't what it could be,"

Skull Kid kept quiet...he carefully tip-toed to the other side of the log and peeked out, while the Faires were behind him, hiding from view.

What he saw, through the fallen trees and foliage...was a figure walking by just two minutes away from where they were. It was hard to tell what the figure looked like because of the trees blocking his view, both standing and fallen, but he could make out some color. He caught a glimpse of purple, a brief flash of orange, and a mound of colors behind this person. Narrowing his eyes to see the figure better somewhat, he still couldn't make out what it was.

"Guys, can one of you fly as close as you can and tell me a description of this person?" he whispered to the Fairies in a serious tone.

"Huh? Why do you want a description of this person?" Tael whispered back at him.

"Because this intruder could be a threat," Skull Kid quietly told younger Fairy.

"A threat? Are you sure?" Tatl asked.

Shaking his head, the Imp replied, "Not really, but you can never be too cautious."

"Well...I can go and check this person out," Tael volunteered.

"Oh, no you don't!" Tatl told her brother in a quiet hiss, "I'm gonna check while you stay here with Skull Kid."

"What? Aw, come on-"

"End of discussion! I don't want you hurt," and with that Tatl flew up to the trees before Tael could even protest some more.

Tael pouted and muttered, "Man, why does she have to be so bossy?"

"Just stay here for now, Tael. Your sister will be okay," told Skull Kid.

Tael said nothing but obliged as he flew and hid behind the Imp.

Tatl, meanwhile, flew to the top of the trees and went straight ahead of her, above the figure. She slowly descends to the figure, and halfway to her descent, she landed on a tree branch once she got a front look above the person.

The figure looked like a man, wearing purple clothes and has short red-orange hair, carrying what looked to be large luggage with a few sacks strapped on it, plus a sleeping bag rolled up on top of it. The most peculiar about what this man is carrying, however, was that there _were...masks_ strapped all around this man's luggage. The masks seemed to be the objects that were making the clattering noise.

But something else seemed odd about this man. As he was walking, he was...smiling. Like the smile was plastered on his face even after a few seconds went by.

 _'Hmm...strange,"_ thought Tatl as she observed the mysterious person. She decided to go back to Skull Kid and her brother to tell them what she found out, so she flew back to where they were.

As soon as she made her way back to them as they were waiting over at the log, she told them, "It's some...guy with a lot of masks strapped around him."

"Really?" Tael asked curiously.

"Masks, huh?" Skull Kid puts a hand on his chin to think. "...Is he armed?"

"If he is, he's armed with masks. But other than that, I don't think so." Tatl informed.

"Maybe he's a mask salesman?" Tael piped up.

Skull Kid hummed in thought...he then let go of his chin, "Tael, you keep watch of the Emerald. Tatl, follow me," he jumped on top of the giant log and began jumping onto the branches of the trees.

Tael pouted, "I want to help too."

"Well, I agree with Skull Kid. Stay here," Tatl told him as she followed Skull Kid, leaving Tael to sulk some more.

Jumping on branches until he was at a clearing where this man was, he hid away from view while laying on a branch. The mysterious male was still walking, not giving a care in the world as he carried his luggage full of masks. The masks that were strapped on him looked interesting; some were colorful, some cheerful, and some looked grim looking. Fascinated by the different masks that were displayed, he turned intangible and jumped off the branch, landing softly on the grass. Tatl hid behind a tree to watch her now invisible friend approach the man.

The landing did make a sound, however, and the man paused a bit...until he shrugged and went back to walking. Skull Kid froze when he stopped, but contain his sigh of relief when the person kept going. He made soft but slightly fast steps towards the man and his masks, stopping every once in a while so he wouldn't make too much sound. When he was almost at reaching distance to the man, something surprising happened...

The man turned around - effortlessly since he was carrying such a load of luggage - and _looked_ at where Skull Kid was...

Skull Kid stopped as he stood there, frozen. He was directly in front of the man now...and the man was staring him down...with a smile.

A very unsettling and unnerving smile...

The Imp stood still...

Tatl looked on in shock and worry.

And the man...was still smiling.

It was then he spoke.

"Ah, hello there!" the man said, "I _thought_ I felt someone following me!"

Skull Kid couldn't contain his gasp. Tatl still stayed behind the tree but was quite surprised that the man discovered her friend even while he was invisible.

"Aha! My instincts were correct once again! Ho ho ho!" the man laughed peculiarly, "You might as well give up the disguise! I mean you no harm."

 _"Huh? How did...how did he know where I was? I mean, I know my magic isn't all that strong, but I like to think my invisible act works at certain times,'_ Skull Kid thought as he stood his ground.

The man kept the same smile on his face, "Come now, I'm just a traveling salesman who sells and looks for masks. Perhaps you would like to look at my merchandise?"

The child-being though was still wary about revealing himself to the salesman...but he did say in a soft tone, "You can see me?"

"Ho ho ho! Well, in a way. I just have _very_ good instincts, as well as gifted hearing," the salesman told him, "And from where I can hear you, I can only guess that you're right in front of me, aren't you?"

The Imp gulped, feeling like a trapped mouse, "Uh..."

"Hmm..." the salesman hummed as he put his hand on his chin, "It seems you are still cautious of me. How about I tell you my name?"

Feeling somewhat at ease by that suggestion, Skull Kid said, "Okay..."

"Splendid! Now, my name is Omen. And you are?" the man named Omen said, gesturing him to speak.

Standing there, Skull Kid was thinking, _'Well, I might as well just show this person what I look like...he seems to know I'm right here. Besides, I can't keep being intangible forever...'_

"Hmm? What's wrong? I told you my name, and now it is your turn," Omen ushered, his smile remaining the same.

It was at that moment, the Imp dropped his invisibility and revealed his form. When he did, the man didn't look shocked at all. He hadn't even recoiled, although he did raise an eyebrow. He just still has the same smile on his face.

"S-Skull Kid is what they call me," he said as he stuttered a bit.

"...Ah," Omen titled his head, "Well, this is interesting. You are an Imp."

"Uh...yeah," Skull Kid said uneasily.

Meanwhile, Tatl looked on at the scene with curious narrowed eyes, _'Hmm...something's off about that person...but I don't know what.'_

"Hmm..." hummed Omen, "I've never seen an Imp around these parts of Hyrule before. What part of this land do you live in?"

"Um...I just...live here." Skull Kid told him, half telling the truth.

"Oh? Well, I have passed by certain forests on occasions whenever I look for new masks. However, I never seem to find an Imp such as yourself here during my travels."

"Well...w-what are _you_ doing in these parts of the forests, huh!?" Skull Kid countered back, trying to sound tough.

"Ho ho ho! Do not be wary of me, little Imp!" Omen said with a grin, "Believe it or not, this is my first time traveling around these parts of this forest, and I am looking for new clients to sell my wares! Would you be by chance be interested in a mask?"

Skull Kid looked at him oddly for a moment and said in hesitation, "Maybe..."

Omen laughed his strange laugh, "Well, in that case, why not I show you some masks that I have and see which one you'd like, just so that you can see that I am not harmful in any way? I can see you're still skeptical of me."

"Well...I mean, it's just...you don't look like you're from the forest," Skull Kid told him.

"Ah, that I'm not! But neither are you!"

Skull Kid frowned, "Okay, you got me there."

"Ho ho! Believe me, little Imp, I mean you no harm! I am just a mere salesman that lives in a city called Castle Town, which surrounds this kingdom's capital, Hyrule Castle! I'm just here traveling around to try to sell and find me some masks."

Skull Kid raised an eyebrow, "You are?"

"That I am! The castle and the city are far from these woods. It is actually a two day trip from here by foot," Omen answered.

The Imp looked at him strangely, "You _walked_ here?"

"Indeed I did! I find it to be great exercise to travel around on foot," Omen said with his smile still in place, "Now then, would you like to take a look at my masks?"

"Uh...okay...what kind of masks do you have?" Skull Kid asked him.

"Oh, I have plenty! Sad masks, happy masks, meaningful masks, even scary masks!"

"Scary masks, huh?" Skull Kid's eyes lit up, now looking interested.

"Ho ho ho! Glad I caught your attention!" Omen said as he placed his luggage on the ground and knelt down to open it, "I keep the scarier masks in one of my sacks here. If you can wait for a moment, I will display them for you."

Meanwhile, Tatl looked on at the two impatiently.

 _'Seriously, Skull Kid? Now you're deciding to buy something from a stranger? ...Wait a minute, he doesn't even have any money!'_

As if on cue, when Omen opened the sack of the supposed 'scary' masks, he suddenly paused, "Hmm..." he turned to Skull Kid, "I'm sorry, but just in case I wasn't clear, you'll need to _buy_ these."

Skull Kid blinked, "Buy?"

"Yes. Do you have any money?"

"Uh..." Skull Kid was about to answer, when...

 ** _Help me..._**

Startled, Skull Kid uttered, "Huh?"

"I said, do you have any money?" Omen asked again patiently with the same smile.

The Imp blinked once more, "Did...did you say something a moment ago?"

The salesman's smile was still on his face...until it slowly died down into a thin line. Skull Kid thought the smile was creepy enough, but when Omen _stopped_ smiling, as well as doing it so gradually...it suddenly made the Imp feel uneasy.

"...What did you hear?" Omen asked evenly.

 _ **Come to me.**_

"Th-That. You don't hear that?" Skull Kid asked him.

Tatl, still behind the tree, looked on with confusion, _'What's going on? Is Skull Kid hearing something? What's he hearing?'_

Omen, however, knelt there with a somewhat unnatural blank expression. His eyes narrowed at the child-like being...

 ** _Come to me._**

"There it is agai-"

"Actually...these masks would be a little too... _scary_ for you," Omen then pulled the sack strings and closed it.

Puzzled, Skull Kid said, "What?"

"I'm sorry, but I must be off," Omen said as he strapped his luggage together, wrapped it around his arms and shoulders and stood up, carrying it on his back.

"W-What?" Skull Kid said in surprise, "Hey, what do you mean _too_ scary? Was there a talking mask in there?"

As the salesman turned to walk off, he stopped. He was unnervingly silent for a moment, until he spoke, "Do not follow me."

"What!?" Skull Kid said, appalled, "Hey, I may not have any money, but that's no reason to be mean!"

Omen didn't reply back as he kept walking away.

Skull Kid scowled and mumbled, "What's his problem? Stupid grown-up..."

 ** _Come to me, little one._**

Surprised once more, Skull Kid looked on at the retreating salesman.

 _ **Help me...help me, little one...**_

The voice...sounded soothing...so patient...so kind...

He took a step...and another step...and another...until he began coming towards the salesman again.

Omen stopped.

"I told you to not follow me," he said firmly.

Skull Kid had to ask, "What do you have in your bag?"

...Omen was deathly quiet.

"...Sometimes, there are forces at work. Forces that you can't see...and should never attend to," he said as he slowly turned his waist to him, his face expressing a frown, "Whatever you heard...do _not_ listen to it."

Puzzled, the Imp asked, "Who's 'it'?"

"...Goodbye, little Imp," Omen then turned back to the path ahead of him and kept walking.

Frustrated, Skull Kid exclaimed, "Why are you being so cryptic all of a sudden? If you heard it too, then there's something special in that bag, isn't there?"

The salesman once again stopped.

Tatl looked on in bewilderment on what's happening right now. _'What's going on?'_

"You did hear it, didn't you?" Skull Kid challenged him. "You're hiding something...no, maybe _someone_ in that bag of yours! And that someone is calling for help!"

 ** _Help me..._**

"There! That person is calling out again!"

"IT IS NOT A PERSON!" exclaimed Omen angrily as he turned around swiftly, startling Skull Kid and the hidden Tatl, "Whatever you heard, it is _not_ for you!"

 ** _Wait._**

Skull Kid paused at the voice.

"Do not _listen_ to this voice, do not go _near_ this voice, don't even _acknowledge_ it!" Omen fiercely argued as he came up to him.

 _ **Wait right there.**_

"When you hear this voice, do _not_ go near me!"

 ** _You have your blow dart, don't you?_**

"Huh? H-How di-" but Skull Kid was interrupted.

"In fact, run away! Run _far away_ as you possibly can!" yelled Omen as his eyes became intense and his expression becoming vicious.

 _ **When he gets closer...you'll know what to do.**_

Skull Kid stood there frozen, his face expressionless and mouth partly opened.

"And if you hear that voice even now, you will not, _ever,_ follow its orders!" the salesman exclaimed in incense.

 _ **Now.**_

The Imp disappeared.

Omen's eyes widened, his face showing that of surprise.

A soft **_phoot_** emerged into existence.

"Aaaugh!" Omen yelped as he felt a sting on his neck. He reached to where it stung and picked out what it was: a dart.

Eyes widened in shock, he then began to feel woozy, almost drunk. His surroundings immediately started to shift, and he tried to form words, "You...you don't...know...what..." and with that, he collapsed onto the ground, bringing his luggage down with him.

Everything was quiet...

Skull Kid reappeared again, a small blow dart in his hand. His eyes were wide, stunned at what he did.

"Skull Kid!" Tatl exclaimed as she got out of hiding and flew up to him.

As soon as she was near him she said, "What was that!?"

 _ **Now...find me.**_

He went to the sacks and began opening them.

 ** _Follow my voice._**

"Skull Kid, what are you _doing!?"_ Tatl exclaimed to him, expecting an answer.

"I'm saving someone! There's someone in these bags!" Skull Kid explained as he kneeled on the ground and dug through the sack, getting multiple masks out.

"Someone is in these bags?" Tatl asked befuddled.

 ** _You're almost there._**

He stopped searching in the sack and found something.

 ** _Yes. You found me._**

Skull Kid then reached for it and got it out of the bag.

Tatl looked worried, "Skull Kid? What's going on?"

He gazed at the object in his hands...

...It was a medium-sized rectangular and metal looking suitcase. It was secured by a padlock where the handle is, meaning it was locked...

 _ **Yes...you need to open it...to free me.**_

"...Tatl, can you open this?" Skull Kid asked.

"Open it!? Skull Kid, what is _going on_? You knocked out a salesman and you're rummaging through his stuff! And where is this 'someone'? It can't be in that thing, it's too small for Hylian standards and too thin!"

"Please Tatl, just do it!" Skull Kid looked at her with hopeful eyes.

Tatl, at a loss, looked at him in concern. After a couple of seconds, she sighed and said, "Okay, okay...just hang on a sec," she flew to the padlock of the metal suitcase and hovered over the keyhole. She inserted her arm in the lock and readjusted the kinks as she moved it, waiting for that one audible click. After a minute, there was a _'click',_ and the padlock was opened, "Alright. There ya go."

"Thanks," Skull Kid said as he got the lock off, and opened it...

"Huh? It's...just a mask..." Tatl said in confusion.

Skull Kid looked down at the mask...

The mask itself was heart-shaped with two spiked horns on each top side of its head, while there were four pairs of spiked horns on each lower side of its face, making it have a total of ten horns on the mask. The four horns on each side had a color that was painted on the tip of the horns, which from top to bottom were yellow, red, green, and blue. The top horns didn't have any color painted on them. The colors on the mask that were displayed are mostly bright purple and red, with little hints of green and bits of cream-ish brown on it. However, the creative use of the colors made the mask stand out. The artistic design of the mask looked very tribal looking, its appearance giving off an ancient feel to it, even though it didn't look that old...but for some reason, it looked like it could be.

But the most striking aspect of this mask was its eyes. They were large circled eyes that have a reddish-orange color to them, with green irises and black pupils. The eyes seemed to stare right back at Skull Kid...into his very soul...

The Imp looked down at it mesmerized...

The mask 'looked' at him...

 ** _...You freed me. Thank you._**

"I've been wringing my arm in a lock for a _mask_? Skull Kid, this can't be right, you said you've heard someone in there, but all I'm seeing is... _this_!" Tatl said in exasperation.

Skull Kid, however, wasn't listening to Tatl. He slowly got the mask out of the case and out of its indention. He raised it up to look into its eyes.

 ** _Now...put_ the Mask _on._**

He turned it around to its back to see that it had ear loops on each side of the mask.

"Skull Kid? Skull Kid, are you even listening to me!?" Tatl said aggravated.

He looked at the inside of it...

...the inside of the mask was pitch black.

 _ **Go on...if you don't, I won't be able to show you something.**_

With that said, Skull Kid proceeds to put the mask closer to his face, letting the ear loops hook onto his small elf-like ears. He let go of the mask to let it stay on his face, and with it equipped on...he waited.

"Skull Kid! For Heaven's sake, what is wrong with you right now!?" Tatl said, trying not to sound really worried, when deep inside, she is.

Kneeling on the ground with the strange mask on his face, Skull Kid's whole posture looked like he was frozen.

Now Tatl was getting increasingly concerned for her friend. "Skull Kid?"

He didn't answer...he was still kneeling with his hands out as he looked up, practically stiff.

Getting scared by each second that passed, Tatl desperately said. "Skull Kid...say something...please, say _something_! What is _going **on**_?"

...Then it happened.

Some form _of...aura_ surrounded Skull Kid...the aura being a purple-ish light hue.

Tatl, noticing this, blinked as her eyes widened in shock.

The purple aura then intensified, creating a darker hue.

Then...Skull Kid's appearance was starting to darken...

"Skull Kid?" Tatl gasped.

...Then his darkened appearance started...to disappear.

"Skull Kid? Skull Kid!? _SKULL KID_!?" Tatl exclaimed his name over in horror.

As Skull Kid kneeled there frozen, his whole body was fading away...evaporating from existence. From the bottom to the top, his whole form shrouded upward like a puff of smoke. Except this smoke was of Skull Kid's whole being, vanishing from this plane, away from this world. Where to, no one knows...

But all Tatl could see...was that he was no more.

What laid there now...was nothing. Nothing remained of Skull Kid...not even the mask that he put on.

Tatl looked on at the spot where Skull Kid had once knelt...

Too shocked and filled with horror to say anything, she made a horrible realization...

...Skull Kid was gone.

* * *

 **End of Act 1: Chapter 4**

* * *

 **Or was he!? LOL, you know the answer to that. ...I mean, I hope you do. D:**

 **But yeah, finally, I got this chapter going! As you can see, I made lots of changes here, so I hope they're worth it! :) Like I said, I'm taking creative liberties on this MM adaptation, so expect new changes! ;D**

 **Anyways, please leave a review, a follow, and a fave! I love to know what you think of the story so far! :)**

 **Next time, we'll see where Skull Kid goes, Tatl and Tael will find Saria, and the Happy Mask Salesman will be questioned. Also, Link will not appear in the next chapter! Sorry! Maybe the sixth chapter he'll make his return! Who knows? XP But stay tuned either way! ;)**

 **Keep on rocking everybody! ^_^**

 **-TSP**


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